Did NY Mets owner Steve Cohen sign Justin Verlander($43m) and Max Scherzer ($43m) not to win the World Series? Or is he happy with a likely 3rd place finish in the NL East? Forget what Mets fans think-that’s pretty obvious-especially if the Braves and the ghost of Larry Jones win another World Series.

Sports fans dream that the folks who own their favorite teams will spend whatever it takes to win it all. Mr. Cohen is a brilliant businessman and a great Mets fan. However, his track record suggests baseball genius isn’t among his traits.

We’ve all seen owners make splashy signings for the splash as much as the title. Moving to a new city, starting an expansion team, a switch in ownership, or public relations for past sins are all good reasons to overspend on a free agent. In some weird way it’s a sign of credibility, or at least an expensive attempt at it. In some cases, the crazy money spent on a free agent pays immediate dividends even if the team never wins it all. I don’t know how much the Mets benefited from these signings. If they don’t win it all, it was a waste of $86m+.