The Mets have fundamentally changed for the better

Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty ImagesIt was not all that long ago that we here at Amazin’ Avenue would follow up any significant Mets transaction by writing about its effects on the team’s payroll, a necessity in a decade-long era of suppressed budgets imposed by its then-owners. It was part of writing about a team that spent a decade chasing payroll flexibility rather than putting the best possible team on the field.

It’s been just a little over two years since Steve Cohen was approved as the new owner of the Mets, having paid about $2.5 billion for a 95 percent stake in the team. And while it was fair to approach the billionaire’s term as owner with a mix of cautious optimism…