Former New York Mets General Manager recently revealed what he considers the team’s most significant mistake, involving a $2.9 million decision that had far-reaching consequences. He pointed to the failure to secure Ichiro Suzuki, which not only cost the team the initial investment but also led to an additional $11 million in potential expenses, making him one of the priciest players they could have signed. This misstep is seen as a pivotal moment that might have changed the team’s trajectory significantly4.

The New York Mets returned to the postseason for the first time since 2022, finishing with an 89-73 record and securing second place in the National League East.With the offseason acquisition of top free agent Juan Soto from the New York Yankees, excitement is building among Mets fans for the 2025 season.This offseason has also seen numerous player transactions, alongside the announcement of the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class. Notably, Ichiro Suzuki fell just one vote short of unanimous induction, prompting former Mets GM Steve Phillips to express regret over not convincing ownership to allocate a few extra million dollars in 2001 to secure Suzuki’s signing.Phillips mentioned that the Mets had around $11 million available at the time while Suzuki signed for approximately $13 million. He speculated on how different Suzuki’s career might have been had he joined New York instead of Seattle, where he enjoyed a remarkable 19-season career, ultimately becoming a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee.Suzuki’s impressive career statistics include a .311 batting average, 3,089 hits, 117 home runs, 780 RBIs, 1,080 stolen bases, and a .757 OPS. He recorded over 200 hits in each of his first ten MLB seasons and won both the Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards in 2001 while playing for the Mariners.