The New York Mets did not sign Kyle Tucker, or Pope Leo XIV for that matter, but fans certainly thought that might be the case after a cryptic tweet from owner Steve Cohen.

'Let me know when you see smoke,' the 69-year-old billionaire investor wrote in an X post on Thursday night.

Traditionally, white smoke emanating from the Vatican during conclave indicates a new Pope has been selected.

But in this case, Cohen was was likely referring to the team's pursuit of Tucker, a free agent slugger who agreed to a reported $240 million deal with the back-to-back World Series-champion Dodgers later in the night. 

'I hope this tweet blows up in your face,' one fan wrote after Tucker reported picked the Dodgers over the Mets. 

The abuse didn't stop there.  

One fan wrote 'there's a lot of smoke' after ESPN reported the Dodgers-Tucker agreement. Another joked that the 'smoke' post was appropriate, because the Mets are a 'dumpster fire.'

Cohen did try to walk back his post before the Tucker news came in, but fans were already upset by that point and only about to grow angrier. 

'For those who don't understand the pope election reference , we are waiting for a decision,' Cohen wrote, seemingly walking back the excitement of his first post. That's all I know.' 

Some fans were more upset about his sloppy metaphor than losing Tucker. 

'The reference was bad,' one wrote. 'In the conclave they send up blue smoke if no pope has been elected and white smoke if one has. Smoke itself is not dispositive of anything.'

Tucker had received an offer from the Mets that would pay an average of $50 million annually, according to reports from ESPN and the New York Post. The Post has since reported that offer was for more than four seasons.

Tucker batted .266 with 22 homers, 73 RBIs and an .841 OPS in 136 games in his first season with the Cubs.

The acquisition of Tucker could have represented a major coup for a Mets front office that has been criticized for letting All-Stars Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz leave for the Orioles and Dodgers, respectively.

'Clearly, this has been an offseason with a lot of change. Some of that change has been really tough,' president of baseball operations David Stearns said Tuesday at a Citi Field luncheon with Mets beat reporters.

'I certainly understand that there have been points in this offseason that have been frustrating for our fan base.'