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Steve Cohen was never physically in a labor negotiating session. But he was present.
He was the owner the other owners feared, and the one the players wanted as untethered to spend as possible. Cohen went into the lockout having guaranteed more to Max Scherzer per season than any other player — by $7 million. So, there was management trepidation of just where he might take a payroll that already was edging toward $280 million.
Ultimately, MLB and the union came to agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement that — among other things — included a new fourth luxury-tax threshold that begins at $290 million and quickly had a nickname: The Steve Cohen Tax.
Two-plus decades ago the tax was created largely out of fear of where George Steinbrenner might take his payroll without restraints. Now, it is Cohen who gives his brethren the sweats due to his $15 billion wealth and unbound desire to turn the Mets into a powerhouse. It is among the biggest reasons why Cohen ranks No. 1 this year in our annual 50 Most Interesting People in Baseball.
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