After a $650M summer, here's the state of Yankees and Mets as they watch October baseball

NEW YORK – At the mention of Gerrit Cole’s impressive pitching performance in 2023, New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge expressed both awe and regret.

“A disappointment for me that we weren’t able to back him up and have a better season and take a guy like that into the postseason,’’ said Judge, in the final moments of a lost Yankee year.

On the New York Mets' side, Buck Showalter announced he was out as manager, followed shortly by GM Billy Eppler's resignation and the revelation he's being investigated by MLB, reportedly related to misuse of the injury list.

Down in Tampa, Fla., the Yankees’ brass gathered to begin the process of re-evaluating all phases of their organization, with an emphasis on the application of analytical data.

Such was the October reality for both New York baseball clubs, on the sidelines this postseason after roughly spending a stunning, combined $650 million on player salaries.

And if they dared interrupt their meetings to peek at what’s happening in these MLB playoffs – well it’s tough to watch.

On the subject of viewing playoff games when the Yankees have been eliminated, “I always say I’ll disappear,’’ said manager Aaron Boone.

But at some point down the line, “I’m sure I’ll be watching.’’

Ex-Mets, ex-Yankees are dotting postseason rosters

This October playoff picture has included some very familiar names.

Jordan Montgomery, assessed as not in the Yankees' postseason pitching plans when he was traded in 2022, has already pitched one playoff gem for the Texas Rangers.

Anthony Volpe: His status as he moves into his first offseason as Yankees' shortstop

In a losing effort in Sunday’s AL Division Series Game 2, Baltimore’s Aaron Hicks homered and drove in five runs – exactly his total production in 28 games as a Yankee this year.

The Mets’ sell-off at the trade deadline boosted multiple playoff contenders, led by Justin Verlander’s return to Houston and Max Scherzer going to Texas.

Dealing with a shoulder issue since September, Scherzer has been ramping up his throwing and might be able to pitch if Texas advances to the AL Championship Series.

Yankees' new October assignment

“We expect to be playing baseball this month,’’ Boone said last week.

Instead, the manager was left assessing the wreckage of 2023, and “knowing we’ve got to get better and figure some things out.

“That’s where the focus turns now, diving in and trying to get better.’’

A thorough internal assessment is required by the Yankees, who watched Baltimore and Tampa Bay sail past them with Opening Day payrolls lower than what the Yanks paid combined to Judge and Cole.

Surrounding those cornerstone players with the right supporting cast remains the yet-to-be-solved task of a club awash in long-term contracts to injury-prone players in their 30s.

In his year-end critique of a club that required more of a “level of urgency’’ earlier in the year, Judge opined about the Yankees’ use of analytics.

“You get a lot of numbers, but I think maybe we might be looking at the wrong ones,’’ he said.

Emptiness at Citi Field, Yankee Stadium

Payroll numbers for both New York clubs will be high again in 2024, and you’ll see an increase in ticket prices for the Mets and Yankees – an added jab from a painful 2023.

It’ll be interesting to see how the bidding shapes up for Japanese star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with the two New York teams expected to be in that bidding war, among several other large-market clubs.

With Mets owner Steve Cohen’s willingness to spend, there’s a reason for optimism at Citi Field, even with the foggy idea of not being a truly sustainable contender until 2025.

“The dream is to win a World Series," said David Stearns, who helped Milwaukee’s rise, at his introductory news conference last week as Mets’ director of baseball operations. "This is a step toward that."

For now, however, it just remains a chilly autumn in New York without baseball.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees, Mets offseason plans as MLB playoffs go on without them