The New York Mets are finding one thing out the hard way—money can buy stars, but it can’t possibly buy October. Sure, Steve Cohen poured his heart and pocket to get Juan Soto from their crosstown rivals. They banked that this big spend would help them earn big wins—and well, Soto has been a star in his own right. Just this weekend, he became only the third player in MLB with 40 homers, 30 steals, and 100 walks in a season.

But while Juan Soto is chasing history, the Mets are essentially collapsing with him by their side. Saturday’s loss came as a gut punch to them and put their playoff dreams even further. Playing with the Rangers, the pain came in the ninth inning, when Wyatt Langford’s single off Edwin Diaz gave Texas a 3-2 win. With that, the Mets marked their eighth straight loss—and it’s the longest skid the team has faced since 2018!

The gravity of this is huge because this is the same team that boasted the best record in baseball, standing at 45-24 in June. Now they are at 76-73 and hanging on to October hopes by a thread. In the wild card era, only two teams in history have been this hot and missed October. Fans are losing patience —but Bob Bightengale is giving New York the idea to look at what to do next.

Bob Nightengale put it plainly for David Stearns and the team: “Considering the Mets’ rotation mess in which they’ve had to rely on three rookies who just got called up, Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen, a New Jersey native, could be the perfect fit for their needs as a free agent.” Nightingale might be hinting that the hopes this season are less, but at least they can prep for the coming 2026 season from now. Plus, Zac Gallen makes sense given that he is hitting the open market. Sure, he has struggled for most of the season, but since the trade deadline, he has looked like the Cy Young contender he was back in 2020, 2022, and 2023.

Plus, Gallen isn’t just another arm; he has a 2.83 ERA now and has logged 174.2 innings this year—so he is a workhorse. And an ace with this long a longevity is rare. He has tossed six-plus innings in nearly every recent start and has held opponents to three runs or less every time. For the Mets, who are simply out of breath managing rotation stability, he is a no-brainer.

Carlos Mendoza mentioned, “We’re here to achieve our ultimate goal. We’ve got to get going here fast. That’s the bottom line. We’ve got to get the job done, period. It’s been too long.” And honestly, they have their star in Juan Soto; they just need to build around him. So Cohen could spend a little more and get another ace or risk wasting Soto’s prime with this battered rotation. As fans, most know which path is the right one.

So, who is to blame for the Mets’ disastrous meltdown?

The New York Mets are, according to FanGraphs, essentially out of the NL East crown race—they gave them a 0% chance. Hence, after watching them spend an arm and a leg and still seeing them unravel, fans are scratching their heads on one question: who is really to blame for their collapse? Because on paper, this team should have been unstoppable, right? Cohen spent it all on Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, and Pete Alonso. Yet, the team feels flat and lifeless, and something feels off. That “off” factor is what The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal might have pointed out in his recent column.

Rosenthal mentioned, “Big stars create a different and occasionally uncomfortable dynamic. The Mets’ big stars, Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, and Pete Alonso, are viewed by those with the club as good people. They work hard and surely want to win as much as Harper, Schwarber, and Turner. But something appears off with this team.” But whether chemistry is the deal breaker for the team, it’s information that won’t necessarily come out of the clubhouse anytime soon. But if all is well, then why hasn’t Lindor been announced as the team’s captain yet?

As far as blaming Soto goes, Rosenthal was dismayed at reminding everyone that the Dominican had thrived in the Yankees’ last season. For him, the problem is not with the superstar but in the mix. This is something even Bobby Valentine touched on.

The former skipper talked recently about the Mets’ collapse: “When things go wrong, it’s because distractions have entered the room.” Now, whether this also hints at chemistry issues is up to you to decide. However, things do look murky as of now. Plus, Valentine also highlighted how for a franchise that has constant media attention, those distractions can multiply fast—and it does make sense. But if victories don’t come, then the audience’s trust does start to fray.

So who do you think should shoulder the blame? Let us know in the comments.