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The Syracuse Mets have been a mainstay of the city’s culture since their 1934 inception as the Syracuse Chiefs. It’s why Diamond Baseball Holdings CEO Peter Freund called the team a “gem.”

Still, the team’s ownership has been tumultuous over the last century. The Mets have been affiliated with nearly a dozen Major League Baseball teams in that span, forcing constant change within the organization. Now, the ownership is switching again.

DBH announced an agreement in December to purchase the Syracuse Mets, currently the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets, along with the franchise’s Double-A affiliate, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. The conglomerate now owns 42 Minor League Baseball teams, over one-third of all MiLB teams.

Still, General Manager Jason Smorol said the new ownership, which takes over for New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, won’t impact how he’s run the team for 14 seasons. DBH has stressed the team is a GM-driven organization, he said.

“There’s been a lot of changes, but overall I’m still the GM and my job is to run this team to the best of my ability, for the business and for the community,” Smorol said. “We’re just gonna keep on keeping on and put on a great show.”

Rick Burton, an SU sports management professor, said the partnership is a vote of confidence in the team’s current leadership.

“They believed it was a really well-run organization, and that Jason Smorol would be just the guy to run the franchise as well for them as he had been running it for Steve Cohen,” Burton said.

As a part of DBH, the Syracuse Mets now have increased access to other MiLB teams. They’ve always connected with and learned from other clubs, but now they bounce ideas off outside teams more regularly, Smorol said.

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The Mets are using this new relationship to gain insight on what’s worked for others, and let other minor league teams be the guinea pigs when trying out new tactics. For example, they’re trying out a new technology to streamline their social media content, Smorol said. If it works for them, other teams can easily implement the same strategy.

“It’s nationwide, and we just have a lot larger group that we could always call on,” Smorol said. “Now we can talk to 41 teams and see how things are going there.”

The Mets pride themselves on prioritizing fan experience, Smorol said. They offer discounts on food and tickets to make the games more affordable for fans, add entertainment acts and firework displays during their “little Broadway show” between innings.

This won’t change under new ownership.

“After 12 seasons here, I look for the same thing,” Smorol said. “I want our fans to be happy. I want us to fill the stadium. I want our players to enjoy their time here. I want us to fulfill our promise of being the most amazing show on dirt.”

Freund echoed this sentiment. He said the Syracuse Mets’ dedicated fanbase made the team an appealing minor league purchase. The company aims to attract even more fans and continue the team’s affordable priorities.

“Few teams across MiLB have their roots as deeply entrenched in their community as Minor League baseball does in Syracuse,” Freund said in an email statement to The Daily Orange. “That strong connection with the community is priceless, and we value it immensely.”

Burton said clubs that partner with DBH could lose their distinctive qualities and become just a number, as DBH owns 42 total teams. The Syracuse Mets are now one of 13 Triple-A teams owned by DBH.

Burton feels people may worry that a big company like DBH may care less than an owner, like Cohen, whose public perception is tied to the success of the New York Mets and their other minor league teams he still owns.

“With the Syracuse Mets being owned by a conglomerate, there’s a little less of that ego factor involved, because Diamond is a little bit faceless,” Burton said.

He said, however, he hopes the fans don’t feel this difference. Smorol added DBH sees all 42 teams as distinct and isn’t assuming the same strategies will work for each team.

“I think they view us all as snowflakes,” Smorol said. “We’re all very similar, but we all have individual markets. Just because we do something in Rancho Cucamonga doesn’t mean we have to do it in Syracuse.”

The team has a long history of ownership. The New York Mets bought the then-Syracuse Chiefs in 2018, purchasing the team from the Community Baseball Club of Central New York Inc. and rebranding them as the Syracuse Mets.

Now under DBH ownership after switching from numerous Major League affiliations, the team will remain the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets, despite no longer being owned by the team.

The new ownership can benefit both parties, Burton said. DBH is looking for a return on its initial investment, and the Syracuse Mets receive support from the company, Burton said. The ownership can cut down everyday costs for the team by buying materials in bulk for multiple squads.

As a result, the Mets now have increased resources from the large conglomerate, Smorol said. He said the increased materials can be overwhelming, and the team is being careful of how much it’s using as they prepare for the 2025 season. For now, the Mets have begun making small changes based on recommendations from DBH, using it to update outdated practices such as email blast systems.

Despite these small changes, though, Smorol said he hopes this season feels the same for players, coaches and fans.

“We’re still going to be the Syracuse Mets,” Smorol said. “When I spoke to Diamond Baseball Holdings, I said, ‘My job was to be the least of the New York Mets’ worries. Now our job is to be the least of your worries.’”

Published on March 27, 2025 at 1:29 am
Contact Eliana: ehrosen@syr.edu