Jeff Wilpon:
“The budget has been expanded, we have given sandy some more money to work with now that David is done and we did what we did with Jason Bay and he’s got some flexibility now to do some things and we’re going to be competitive this year.”
- Mike’D Up 660AM WFAN
“What David has shown is leadership without having to have a ‘C’ on his chest, or somebody having to name him captain. I think what Terry and Sandy and I have talked about is if the players come in spring and say, ‘Hey, listen, we really want David to be the captain, and be named the captain.’ Then I’m sure Terry will bring that back and we’ll do something like that.” – Adam Rubin ESPNNewYork
“The payroll is going to go up this year and Sandy knows the flexibility he has and then next year when some things roll off the books we will go even higher,”
- Mike Puma New York Post
“[Wright] wanted to make sure I was going to be around or if there was truth about selling the team. As I’ve said from the beginning, we’re not going anywhere.”
- Mike Puma New York Post
David Wright:
“I met with Jeff, Wilpon down in Miami the last series of the regular season. We were going to go out to a nice restaurant, have a nice dinner and just talk about what the negotiations would be like. Well the nice restaurants were closed so we went to this burger and beer joint down in Miami. We sat there and I was as brutally honest with him as I could be. He was honest with me which I really appreciated. I had some very difficult questions to ask him. He answered them to the best that he could and that kind of got the ball rolling and then must of been the 1st, 2nd, 3rd week of the off season, Sandy flew down to Norfolk Virginia, my home and same thing. We played some golf. Had a late lunch early dinner and I had some difficult questions to ask Sandy. Even before the contract stuff started. We went through the minor league players kind of player by player. We went through some free agents not just 13 but 14,15,16. The types of players Sandy is looking for. Trades, the types of players Sandy is looking for and really mapped it all out for me. And after that meeting after seeing the passion and the energy in both of their voices I knew we’d get a deal done”
- Mike’D Up 660AM WFAN
“I tried my best to make sure that we get a deal that was beneficial for both sides and I think that during that process it was important to me to structure the deal and with the deferrals to make sure that my contract doesn’t hamstring the team moving forward. I didn’t want it loaded a certain part of the contract. I wanted somewhat evenly spread out with the structure being so that they could go out and sign a free agent if they needed to, make a trade if they need to and then I didn’t want to hamstring them obviously in the back of it either.” – Mike’D Up 660AM WFAN
30 comments
Prismo
12/5/2012-4:34pm at 4:34 pm (UTC -4)
Sounds like Wright really doesn’t care about winning; only about money.
“We went through the minor league players kind of player by player. We went through some free agents not just 13 but 14,15,16. The types of players Sandy is looking for. Trades, the types of players Sandy is looking for and really mapped it all out for me”
All I hear is DOLLA DOLLA BILLZ Y’ALL. I wish Wright would take a real interest in Alderson building a team around him, but he spent the entire time asking Sandy questions like “HOW MUCH MORE ARE YOU GONNA PAY ME THO” and “I WANT LIKE 15 YEARS. CAN YOU DO YOU THAT BRO?”
darknova306
12/5/2012-4:53pm at 4:53 pm (UTC -4)
He’s a walking P.R. machine. You know better than to believe everything he says to the media.
kingman 26
12/5/2012-5:14pm at 5:14 pm (UTC -4)
Wow, ever hear of public relations?
Are you really naive enough to think that Wright and his agents do not carefully consider what he says in public?
He insisted on getting slightly more than Johan received to have the biggest contract in Met history, and you think the 16th most interesting free agent is what he really cares about?
Wow. This really surprises me.
Saint Dimples really does have magic power over the minds of many.
Stick
12/5/2012-5:21pm at 5:21 pm (UTC -4)
since we are limited to the internet, all you can go buy is what he is quoted as saying. Believe it or not, anything beyond that is individual speculation.
wanny
12/5/2012-5:29pm at 5:29 pm (UTC -4)
let’s just assume it’s true that wright insisted on making the most money in team history…
1. he has earned that distinction
2. it doesn’t mean that he is not interested in winning. surely, he can want to win AND get what he is due. most competitive teams have to pay multiple stars.
kingman 26
12/5/2012-5:38pm at 5:38 pm (UTC -4)
Did Wright sit down and insist on going over the minor leagues and dozens of free agents (which the Mets won’t sign)? Or did he basically say look, I want to stay in NY, I will accept less $$$ in 2013, but the conversation begins with me receiving more than Johan Santana?
Agreed on number 2–I am just speaking of what is first and foremost and the priority…but really, are the Mets poised to do much winning anytime soon?
Seriously Wanny—this year’s discussion of trades and other teams’ prospects has pointed out in bold relief how nearly barren our system is of almost anything beyond Wheeler and Flores, aside from guys years away.
As for number 1, I must respectfully but utterly disagree. I am sorry, but this is not how teams–aside from the Yankees–behave. Wright was great from 2005–2008, very good in 2009 and 2010, pretty mediocre in 2011 and great for half of 2012 and mediocre for half of 2012. Unless you are saying that he deserved nearly $140 million based on his previous accomplishments, I cannot agree that he earned this deal based on recent performance and based on what can be reasonably projected over the life of this contract.
wanny
12/5/2012-5:47pm at 5:47 pm (UTC -4)
i agree too that he is not worth that money going forward. but the reality is that players staying home always get rewarded for their past. Is it smart? No. But it’s the way it is.
TX
12/5/2012-5:52pm at 5:52 pm (UTC -4)
You can take his word on what was discussed or not. I can’t sway you either way on that, because we really will never know what was discussed.
As for the contract, look what others are getting out there. Look at what Victorino got! Look at Pagan got. Yes, Wright got paid big money. But in perspective of what is getting paid around the league, I can’t sit here and say “he’s all about the money”. I’m sure he is about getting paid, but he’d probably get a higher average annual salary if he just waited out FA and hit the open market.
I’m not sure if it is a proper comparison, but look at the salary that is being talked over Grienke. Grienke is really good, but I’d never consider him to be great. And he’s lining up to get the largest contract ever in the history of mankind for a SP. Wrights contract is a combination of ability and the market.
Stick
12/5/2012-5:53pm at 5:53 pm (UTC -4)
he actually makes less than Johan, on an annual basis. He just has a longer deal. Pretty sure on total payout, Bobby Bo still has them both beat!
wanny
12/5/2012-5:57pm at 5:57 pm (UTC -4)
Whether you think keeping Wright was the appropriate move or not is irrelevant to the discussion of whether he is a genuine guy or cares about winning.
I was in the camp of moving him. But I like the way he’s handled himself. I don’t ever begrudge a professional for trying to get the most for himself — especially one with a limited shelf life. But he definitely made concessions to help the team. And I think he probably could have beaten Santana’s deal for real on the open market.
kingman 26
12/5/2012-6:02pm at 6:02 pm (UTC -4)
Well, you all make great points, which is why I enjoy debating with you all, and as is often the case in life, reality lies somewhere in the middle.
Sure Wright is a better guy than many if not most ultra-rich athletes, sure he plays hard, and sure he is an all-time great Met.
My opinions have become jaded by the events of recent years.
And TX, you are 100% right that this new market is INSANE.
Victorino’s deal is simply crazy.
TX
12/5/2012-6:07pm at 6:07 pm (UTC -4)
Kong, when I saw that deal, the first thing I thought of is if he can get that, what will Hairston get, who isn’t isn’t a full time OF!
But, if people are slinging this money around and the revenue coming in from the MLB deal and such is there, Wilpon Sr. & Jr. better get their books in order to be able to raise the bar on overall payroll. I think they are getting there, and 2014 should help with adding some players (better role players/backups in the least), but they better bite the bullet a tad this year cause getting this team to having even an average OF is gonna require gold bricks.
darknova306
12/5/2012-9:12pm at 9:12 pm (UTC -4)
I said it yesterday: with the new money coming into MLB with that TV stuff, you’ll get inflated contracts. It’s the same thing you see in this country as the Fed keeps counterfeiting money and throwing it at Congress to cover their deficits. It’s basic inflation. Expect the average MLB contract to jump to even more ludicrous levels in the next couple of years.
srt
12/5/2012-10:06pm at 10:06 pm (UTC -4)
But, but……..he’s just your typical greedy ballplayer, right?
srt
12/5/2012-10:11pm at 10:11 pm (UTC -4)
This was supposed to be a reply to Prismo’s first comment. Damned mobile site.
Prismo
12/6/2012-8:37am at 8:37 am (UTC -4)
It was! And I’m glad one of you agrees with me. I always thought myself a cynic, but the views of humanity here are much colder and darker than my own.
Wright has been a stand-up person his entire career, on and off the field. He’s done nothing to make anyone question his motives. Certainly accepting a large contract shouldn’t separate him from any other ballplayer. But when have you ever seen a player take 8 million off his salary in the coming year, of his own volition? I’ve never seen such an act, and I think anyone who turns that into a negative is seeing what they want to see.
TRS86
12/6/2012-9:14am at 9:14 am (UTC -4)
Not only that but the fact that he didn’t want the deal backloaded only at the end because he knew that would be when he could be the most burden.
That being said, Wright certainly isn’t the first one to take less in his first year to allow the team more flexibility. Even his buddy Reyes did that last year.
kingman 26
12/6/2012-9:20am at 9:20 am (UTC -4)
He most likely took 8 million less for 2013 as a condition for receiving a contract which will pay him almost $140 million.
It is entirely possible that the Wilpon financial state–again illustrated by the Bay move and thus far them having done absolutely nothing whatsoever to improve the team this offseason–is in such chaos, that the $8 million reduction in 2013 was make or break in terms of this deal getting done.
We don’t know, of course, but if it was indeed the case (and this is most definitely not far-fetched) then of course they are going to play it the way they have.
Again, sure Wright’s a great guy, sure he works hard and plays through injuries, sure he seems like a guy you’d want your daughter to marry, dimples, etc., but really guys, everything this team does these days is clearly done with the Wilpon financial situation looming quite largely overhead.
Denying this is most definitely not seeing what you do not want to see.
TRS86
12/6/2012-9:41am at 9:41 am (UTC -4)
That makes no sense Kingman considering that his 16M salary was already factored into the 2013 budget and considering the cash coming off the books they can easily afford to give him his 1.5M raise each year. There is no doubt in my mind that keeping Wright at 17.5M per year will lose them no money for the foreseeable future. We can debate as to if that was the best way to make the Mets better but the Mets aren’t loosing money by keeping him at that salary, not unless he tails off dramatically or pisses people off.
kingman 26
12/6/2012-9:55am at 9:55 am (UTC -4)
I am not saying that they told him that they could not afford his 2013 salary–not at all.
I am saying that they may have told him that IF he wanted this massive deal, they would have to lower his 2013 pay in order to have that $8M to spend on other things.
That is what I meant there.
TRS86
12/6/2012-10:00am at 10:00 am (UTC -4)
Well of course they most likely said that… We know the Mets can’t afford much more than 100M payroll this year. It appears however that they will be inclined to at least spend up to that point next year with a lot of money coming off and reports are that they may increase that amount. I don’t expect 140M next year but I do think that there will be a gradual increase depending on development and need.
darknova306
12/5/2012-10:17pm at 10:17 pm (UTC -4)
Caring about winning will always take a back seat to the money. Don’t kid yourself, he’s no better than any other human being.
Stick
12/5/2012-5:20pm at 5:20 pm (UTC -4)
well, Wright must be the only person in the world that made having Jeffy AROUND be a condition for staying connected to the Mets! usually works the other way.
TX
12/5/2012-5:53pm at 5:53 pm (UTC -4)
That’s what got him the extra year!
Mr North Jersey
12/5/2012-5:41pm at 5:41 pm (UTC -4)
From the quote “I tried my best to make sure that we get a deal that was beneficial for both sides…” I read beneficial as him making sure he got paid while also helping the team.
I have been reading and listening to snippets throughout the day and I have yet to read him deny the money was important. For all the talk about playing for one team it would not happen most likely had they stood firm on say paying him $13M a year for 6 years.
Any attempt to deny the money played no part would be B.S. by Wright and I would think most know that to the players this is a business and he just as most every player including Dickey to come before him and those that will come after want to be paid whatever they feel the market rate is at the time.
TX
12/5/2012-5:54pm at 5:54 pm (UTC -4)
Well, don’t we all do that? I like my job, but I negotiate like hell everytime a review comes around or an opportunity arises that I can use to my advantage to help increase my pay. Isn’t that just life?
kingman 26
12/5/2012-6:04pm at 6:04 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah, I guess, which I why I have to remember to thank my little brother again tomorrow for offering me the opportunity to be my own boss 12 years ago.
But yes, with the money that is obviously ragingly cascading into MLB with the new TV deals, Wright and Dickey absolutely have every right to get all they can.
TX
12/5/2012-6:09pm at 6:09 pm (UTC -4)
it is so hard, though, to know we fight to make it each day/week/year, and these guys are winning about an extra couple million. Good thing we don’t have to worry about what we should be spending those extra millions on, right?
kingman 26
12/5/2012-7:53pm at 7:53 pm (UTC -4)
Damn right about that!
srt
12/5/2012-10:20pm at 10:20 pm (UTC -4)
LOL….
As others have stated, all these contracts are crazy. So all have to be evaluated on that level of crazy.