The other week I attended a blogger event at Citi Field for the Mets versus Marlins series. While I was there I was conversing with some of my fellow bloggers in arms and we talked about the 800 lb gorilla in the room. I said ” You know the minute after the Mets finish the ’12 season all eyes and questions will not be about how the Mets finished the season – but about how much the payroll will be for 2013″.
Well I guess I was technically wrong because it seems like the 800 lb gorilla got hungry and made his presence known by mid August. Last night Adam Rubin -the Mets beat reporter from ESPN.com broke the story that next years payroll will most likely be the same as this years ( in the low to mid 90 million dollar range). I know this will not sit well with the majority of the fan base (myself included) – but this shouldn’t come as much as a surprise.
Since spring training Sandy Alderson – the Mets G.M has been very upfront and on the record about the teams ability to add payroll. Yes the team did play extremely well the first half of this season – but Citi Field was far from sold out. And for a franchise that was hanging their hopes of financial solvency on ticket sales it is a safe bet that this season too was a losing season. I know what you are saying – the Wilpons sold 12 minority shares of the team for over 200 million bucks. Well hate to break this to you but that went to pay down debt that they were about default on (including that 20 million dollar bridge loan from the MLB).
Yes the Mets will have at least 15 million dollars coming off the books ( Cedeno, Rauch, Byrdak) and it looks like the Mets will not tender either Mike Pelfrey or Andres Torres contracts but with raises to Dickey, Wright, Bay, Santana and the newly extended Jonathan Niese will negate that. It appears that Sandy might just have about 10 – 15 million dollars to spend to plug up holes via free agency (so we should expect another off season of dumpster diving for acquisitions).
Yes we can’t stand this belt tightening – but when you see the available outfield free agents – there are no players other than Michael Bourne that are worth the big bucks they will get – and the Mets will not spend money on starting pitching – especially when it looks like both Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler will be in the starting rotation by the middle of the season.
Look I am not a Wilpon apologist – but like a fellow blogger said “ The Wilpon’s will do everything they can to keep this team – even if it means selling their jets, yachts, mansions and taking up residence at Citi Field until their financial woes improve.
So yes my fellow Mets fans – the curse of Madoff has hardly been lifted. Maybe by 2014 the front office will be allowed to act like a big market franchise – but in the meantime that hungry 800 lb gorilla will be taking up residence in Flushing
And with that said…. HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!!!
Mets alumni celebrating a birthday today includes:
Mets utility infielder from ’75-’77, Mike Phillips is ’62 (1950).
Current color commentator for Mets televised broadcasts – and on of the best pitchers in Mets history, Ron Darling is 52(1960).
Utility man from ’96-’00, Matt Franco is 43 (1969). Don’t forget he’s related to Kurt Russell.
Middle reliever from ’98-99, Jeff Tam is 42 (1970).
Starting pitcher from last season, Chris Capuano is 34 (1978).
The New York Mets sold the contract of spot starter/middle reliever, Wayne Twitchell to the Seattle Mariners on August 19, 1979.
The New York Mets signed free agent middle reliever, Mike Marshall on August 19, 1981. Mike appeared in 20 games for the Mets that season – finishing with a record of 3-2 with a E.R.A of 2.61. The Mets would release him that off season.
Mo Vaughn and Popeye’s spicy fried chicken do not pair well together – TRUST ME !!!!
15 comments
NJstuckinTX
8/19/2012-11:24am at 11:24 am (UTC -4)
Which is why we can be upset all we want, but blaming Sandy or Terry or anyone else other than the Wilpons is just silly.
srt
8/19/2012-12:54pm at 12:54 pm (UTC -4)
This. This. This.
Stick
8/19/2012-1:43pm at 1:43 pm (UTC -4)
I hate to do it, but I will agree with some of the lunatics a bit. Sandy could have done a better job adding filler pieces with the budget/prospects they do have, and potentially kept them more competitive.
srt
8/19/2012-2:37pm at 2:37 pm (UTC -4)
Yes, he probably could have. And I think he attempted to – especially in the BP. Just didn’t work out. Not like he had all that much money to rebuild that, including a closer.
But man, this BP is awful – especially the first half.
We’ve weeded out some of the culprits – like Acosta – but then they bring him back? He’s one guy I’d better not see in that 2013 BP.
NJstuckinTX
8/19/2012-5:53pm at 5:53 pm (UTC -4)
Oh, I agree as well. I was not happy with not finding more SP depth and I wanted a legitimate loser (Nathan). But at the end of the day, he had to overpay to get people on the team because why in the world would anyone want to come into a crappy situation other than for the money. And Nathan went to TEX. Now, let’s see… NY Mess or a WS contender… Hmmmm… And I sight the Werth signing in Washington as something similar, or Pedro’s signing back in the day. Over paid to come into bad situations.
srt
8/19/2012-12:53pm at 12:53 pm (UTC -4)
Spot on, Rusty. I agree 100% with everything you’ve printed here.
Until Johan and Bay’s contracts come off the books after 2013, we’re not spending a dime.
I wonder if the Wilpons realize though that if they want to get this team back in the black, they’re going to have to open the checkbook a bit. Personally, I’d just assume see something like with the down revenues this season, they can no longer hold on. Would make my day.
Since that’s likely a fantasy, I can only hope the FO pulls off a miracle for ’13 and gets us an OF. With a projected better SP staff with Harvey, a BP arm or two – if we just had that RH bat and a real OF or two, we might actually compete for a WC next season. Better team = better revenues = little larger payroll.
Stick
8/19/2012-1:44pm at 1:44 pm (UTC -4)
it could happen. Look around at guys that are having huge years for relative chump change. If the Mets had lucked into a few of them instead, things could be different.
Stick
8/19/2012-1:41pm at 1:41 pm (UTC -4)
well, the payroll this year is still in the top 1/2 of all MLB. so they might not be increasing, but they are “spending”
and this: “ The Wilpon’s will do everything they can to keep this team – even if it means selling their jets, yachts, mansions and taking up residence at Citi Field until their financial woes improve.”
I don’t actually agree with. They seem to like being owners, and would love to keep the team to pass down in the family, but IMO they love being rich more. If they have to choose between liquidating a prime asset and giving up the rich folk lifestyle, the team is going, going gone goodbye.
srt
8/19/2012-2:37pm at 2:37 pm (UTC -4)
‘ If they have to choose between liquidating a prime asset and giving up the rich folk lifestyle, the team is going, going gone goodbye.’
From you lips to my ears.
kingman 26
8/19/2012-4:14pm at 4:14 pm (UTC -4)
They are not spending anything close to what they used to spend, much of that is in huge commitments to a few players, and it is doubtful they will ever have to make the choice you suggest.
The Mets are one of many assets Fred Wilpon has, and clearly he wants to retain this asset, even more clearly if this means reducing payroll by record amounts and finishing 4th every year, and having the GM blatantly lie to the fan base and the world about being “buyers!”
The Wilpons intend to maintain ownership, while losing, lying, and doing anything else necessary.
Fred will never be poor, he will keep the Mets unless forced to sell, and he will not lose money any more than absolutely necessary by continuing to own the Mets.
That, my friend, is “The Plan.”
srt
8/19/2012-6:36pm at 6:36 pm (UTC -4)
Fred will never be poor, he will keep the Mets unless forced to sell, and he will not lose money any more than absolutely necessary by continuing to own the Mets.
This.
I’ll be curious to see what happens when Selig leaves office. He’s the sole reason the Wilpons still own this team, IMO.
gategem
8/19/2012-9:35pm at 9:35 pm (UTC -4)
I love it when a plan comes together.
kingman 26
8/19/2012-4:04pm at 4:04 pm (UTC -4)
Thank you for injecting adult reality here my friend.
We will see Shoppach and Thole, we will see Frank Francisco closing, we will see Baxter as a starter, and pretty much the exact same team.
A terrible time to be a Met fan.
gategem
8/19/2012-9:38pm at 9:38 pm (UTC -4)
Zager and Evans should have amended the lyrics to the song “The Year 2525” to include “if baseball survives, the Mets will arrive.”
DaveSchneck
8/19/2012-10:42pm at 10:42 pm (UTC -4)
Rusty,
You post may well be 100% on the mark, but I for one do not accept this garbage from the Wilpons. This season they cut payroll a record $50 million. They received a very favorable settlement, yes settlement, in the Madoff case. They own a TV station and new ballpark in the largest market in the US. Their tickets are near the highest priced tickets in MLB. They will most likely field a losing team for the 4th consecutve year. Their AAA affiliate is dumping them, causing a serious setback to the grand plan of building from within. We all know that they should not be offering big money long term deals like those given to Santana and Bay. However, they cannot field a team as flawed and incomplete as the 2012 squad. Baxter and Hairston are not starters. They need a closer to go with Francisco, a big league OF righty bat to cover Wright. Two professional catchers. A competent CF and leadoff hitter (not necessarily the same player). And, unless Alderson is willing to contribute 75% of hid multi-million $ salary to the cause, he doesn’t get a free pass.