Steve Cohen throws shade at Wilpons with time running out on his Mets World Series goal

PORT ST. LUCIE — Steve Cohen’s first three seasons as Mets owner have produced two losing teams, hardly inspiring confidence that his goal of winning a World Series — initially stated when he bought the team — in the next two years will materialize.

And for that, Cohen directed shade Sunday toward the team’s previous ownership under the Wilpon family.

“I would hope that we would have had more winning seasons, but it’s not easy,” Cohen said during his annual spring training State of the Mets address. “In the end, I was given what I was given.”

That was a reference to an underwhelming farm system that has since improved. But there have been growing pains, most notably last year’s 75-win team that underachieved badly enough in the first half to prompt Cohen to trade stars Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander for prospects.

It’s now a farm system that includes names such as Jett Williams, Luisangel Acuna, Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford — along with several pitchers in whom the Mets owner is enamored — that has Cohen feeling confident about the organizational direction.

“I tend to be optimistic, I can’t help it, but I think I have good reason to be optimistic,” Cohen said. “That the talent we’re creating, we’re making players better — we’re improving them. I always wanted that. The best teams do that and now we’re doing that.”

Cohen also broached Pete Alonso’s contract situation, saying it would be beneficial for the club to let the slugging first baseman become a free agent after the season.

“We haven’t had any discussions and I think at this point as far as for Pete it’s best for him to go have a great year and not be distracted,” Cohen said. “I think it’s best for the ballclub. We know how to do this. We did it with Edwin [Diaz], we did it with Brandon [Nimmo] after the season. We’ll figure it out when we get there.”