LOS ANGELES — Steve Cohen dispatched the tweet heard ’round the baseball world when he called out the disappointing Mets lineup this week.

It’s a leap to say the Mets owner’s shot at his club meant anything in the short term (they were lethargic offensively for nine innings Wednesday before breaking out in the 12th to beat the Giants), but in the big picture notice might have been served that the team’s performance has been unacceptable.

“It’s hard to understand how professional hitters can be this unproductive,” Cohen tweeted Wednesday morning. “The best teams have a more disciplined approach. The slugging and OPS numbers don’t lie.”

A deeper look at the potential impact of 26 words that became high heat for a cold team:

What it says for Cohen: The rookie owner hasn’t been shy about engaging fans on Twitter and expressing optimism about this team. But this was perhaps the first sign of true frustration from Cohen, who has watched the team sink from first to third in the NL East during an ugly stretch (the Mets were 5-12 in August entering Thursday) that immediately followed an underwhelming trade deadline for the organization.

Upon completing his purchase of the club last offseason, Cohen stated a goal of winning a World Series within a three-to-five-year window. But you have to wonder if with the Mets’ fast start this season his confidence skyrocketed to the point he thought this would be the year, and recent events were the equivalent of the realization that dream is fading.

It has been a decade since a Mets owner has criticized players publicly. Back then, it was Fred Wilpon taking shots at Carlos Beltran, David Wright and Jose Reyes in The New Yorker. Wilpon went silent shortly afterward — and Twitter wasn’t his thing. It will be interesting to see how Cohen proceeds. Was this just an isolated incident of frustration or the first of potentially many Steinbrenner-like moments for the Mets owner?

What it says about Sandy Alderson and Zack Scott: It can’t be deemed as a positive when your boss criticizes the performance of players you helped pick. In all fairness to the front office, Francisco Lindor (who was just starting to produce when he strained a right oblique) has been sidelined for the last month, and Javier Baez, acquired at the trade deadline, has barely played for the Mets because of back spasms.

Michael Conforto, Dominic Smith, J.D. Davis and Jeff McNeil have underperformed, but all were inherited players (albeit drafted during Alderson’s previous GM tenure) coming off solid seasons. Alderson was largely responsible for the James McCann signing, and the catcher’s underwhelming bat has contributed to the team’s offensive woes.

All of it points to the Mets hiring a president of baseball operations this offseason, allowing Alderson to focus on the role for which he was hired (overseeing all facets of the organization) and letting Scott to grow into the GM role.

What it says for Luis Rojas and his coaches: The fact Cohen cited the team’s “approach” in his missive doesn’t sound like an endorsement for hitting coach Hugh Quattlebaum, who was thrust into the position in May when Scott decided a change was needed from Chili Davis.

Quattlebaum, who was serving in a player-development role at the time, was chosen specifically to address players’ preparation and approach. Kevin Howard was moved from player development to assistant hitting coach, replacing Tom Slater, for the same reason. If the Mets’ offensive fortunes don’t improve over this final stretch, it’s hard to envision Cohen signing off on Quattlebaum and Howard returning in the same roles. The Mets entered Thursday 26th in MLB in slugging percentage and 24th in OPS. They were 28th in runs.

Rojas’ two-year contract expires after this season. He was selected by the previous front-office regime, leaving him on thin ice if the Mets fail to reach the playoffs.

What it says for certain hitters: Conforto will be a free agent after the season. The Mets figure to extend him a qualifying offer, but his dreams of a windfall from the Mets this offseason are likely dashed. Smith, McNeil and Davis were all deemed as significant components of the nucleus in 2019 and 2020. Would it be surprising, however, if the Mets traded any or all of them this winter?