Last week I shared an email from Jeff Wilpon that said he would aggressively do whatever it takes to win a championship in 2010.
Today, he expanded a little more on that. First let me share his opening remarks before he fielded a few questions.
Fred, Saul and I would like to thank Mets fans for supporting the team through this painful, disappointing season. Like all fans, we are extremely unhappy with our results, both on and off the field, which were totally unacceptable. Baseball is a results business and we play in a results town. We demand better, we expect better and our fans deserve better. Ownership is dedicated to delivering a championship-caliber team. We have significant challenges ahead. Omar and Jerry must step up, and we are confident they will.
Is there a set payroll figure for next year?
“It’s what Omar needs. There’s no firm number that we have right now. We haven’t even gone through budgets yet. We’re just starting.”
Doesn’t payroll have to go down given lack of fan enthusiasm going into next year?
“We’d like to create the enthusiasm. I think our plan and Omar’s plan and the different ways he has to get there, through trades and free agents, is to create the excitement for our fans. I think with the reduction in ticket prices and the ability for more fans to be here, we’re hoping that happens. And what the payroll is, we didn’t necessarily spend well with $147 million this year, so I don’t want to say what it’s going to be. Last year we started the offseason with a $135 million payroll. It went up to $147 [million]. We didn’t have that as a plan.”
Doesn’t payroll have to go down though?
“No, it doesn’t have to, because the revenue is not necessarily less. If we do a good job of putting a product on the field, the fans will come back, and we’ll have the proper revenue to support.”
As I wrote last week, it could very well be that all those Madoff stories were overblown. Jeff Wilpon and other front office people have insisted all along that the Madoff situation would have absolutely no bearing on the day to day operations of the Mets.
I’m still giving them the benefit of the doubt at least until we see how they proceed this off season. They genuinely seem committed to bringing a championship to Flushing next season. Of course that doesn’t mean that they will go about it the right way, but their heart is in the right place.
I found it telling that he acknowledged that they did not spend the $147 million dollars well, and I bet Omar Minaya got an earful about that. I would expect Minaya to be on a short leash and that any major signings will have to be acceptable to a few other people before they sign off on it. It should have been that way all along.
Anyway, what’s passed is past, and we need to look ahead to a new and hopefully a more healthier and productive season in 2010.
*Mets Merized Online Needs Your Help*
I think we have heard this before from the Wilpons if Im not mistaken. Lets hope he sticks to his guns and gets a healthy winning team on the field in 2010. Lets Go Mets!
Omar will be fired by the All Star break and Manuel will be let go after next season. All these moves did today, was lock the Mets into another horrendous season full of doom and gloom in 2010.
I too share concerns going in 2010, but I’m a bit less pessimistic than you. If Uncle Bernie hasn’t disabled the Mets finances, and we have a few good acquisition, we might be competitive next year. It’ll be fun to watch as it unfolds.
Besides, you’re 500 years too late to be the next Nostradamus!
oh they have no choice but to spend the money. they need people to come to their games and if they cant put a winning team, they will not make money. THEY NEED THIS TEAM TO WIN!!!!! that could be a very good thing for a lot of us
I know your trying to optimistic, and give them the benefit Joe, but I have lost all trust in Omar. I think all they did today was attempt a Jedi mind trick.
I think there was one telling thing that come through. Jeff admitted the relevance of attendance to staffing the organization. In claiming that they are not financially disabled by the Madoff affair, they admitted that attendance was the factor that would determine spending ability to recruit for the team. They are “hoping” the fans will turn out in 2010. The extent to which that happens will determine the resources they can dedicate to the team. So although, Madoff has not short-circuited the Mets, they will not spend in a vacuum. It all comes down to cash flow, the bottom line financials, and the key to that is attendance. With Omar’s and Jerry’s track records and the dismal coaching staff in place, how can success be projected? This doesn’t equate well and the only control Mets fans have is to watch on TV if the expected happens and a poor offseason leads to a bad start to the new season. The Wilpons will not be able to survive empty seats at Citi.
I agree with you. But I believe most took yesterday’s interviews as a positive sign (I did not) and will give them the benefit of a doubt. If the Mets don’t do well though, ticket sales are going to have a very steep decline and then the rubber will meet the road. I mean basically they said we know we suck, but were going to be championship caliber next year, just come out and see. Insane to think that with this same management team we are going to have championship results.
I STATED ALL ALONG THE MATH DIDN’T ADD UP TO THE WILPONS LOSING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS. STERLING ENTERPRISES, POSSIBLY. WORLDWIDE EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT, 401Ks LIKELY DEVASTATED; BUT NOT THE WILPONS WHO STRUGGLED TO PUT TOGETHER FUNDS TO BUY OUT DOUBLEDAY NOT THAT LONG AGO! IT’S NEVER ADDED UP. MARK MY WORDS, TRUE BUDGET CEILING FOR ‘10 IS NOT 1 DIME OVER $170M(LUXURY CAP) I EXPECT 130-140M. WHICH IS CERTAINLY SUFFICIENT IF SPENT RIGHT! MY PERFECT SET OF ACQUISITIONS WISH LIST OF:
FIELDER-10.5M – TRADE
CRAWFORD- 10.0M – TRADE
HALLADAY-15.75M – TRADE
MOLINA-6M? – SIGN
IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY DUE TO LACK OF TRADEABLE COMMIODITIES. ALL COULD BE ADDED & STILL CUT PAYROLL. CURRENT COMMITMENTS PER COTS:$92,113,000.
I dont believe one word that comes out of their mouth. Let them strike the first blow when free agency opens and sign John Lackey or trade for Roy Halladay. If they do that I will post a one thousand word apology explaining how I was wrong.
$$$ does not buy judgement nor wisdom. We have seen that you cannot BUY a pennant- the Yankees of the 80s, the Mets of the early 90s-All that the spensing of huge $$ does is bring in Free agents who by definition are on the way down and deplete the farm system by losing high draft picks that are needed as the inevitable injuries occur and trades need to e made. Dont spend $$$, make wise decisions-IF it requires $$ then so be it, but simply saying we wil spend $$ means nothing- especially with this crew in charge
Could it be that The Mets lost no where near the money that is being claimed – and, in fact, may have to pay more money to Madoff investors?
Newsday just ran a story that Sterling – which owns the Mets – were denied a 500,000 insurance payoff realted to the financial scandle, plus were denied any part of recovery money.
Here’s a portion of the article:
A key issue appears to be that the partnership’s account with Madoff didn’t have a positive “net equity” because it withdrew or transferred out more money than it had deposited, according to court records filed in the bankruptcy case. In those instances, Picard is routinely denying claims because he feels the customers where “net winners” by taking out more money than they put into Madoff’s business. Any excess withdrawals, Picard has said, utilized stolen customer funds. But scores of customers contend the amount listed on their November statements from Madoff, even if fictitious, should be the basis for the payments.
Sterling Equities had scores of accounts on a Madoff mailing list published earlier this year. News reports have claimed Sterling Equities lost as much as $700 million in Madoff’s Ponzi scheme and would have to sell the baseball team, something the company denied.
While court records don’t give details about Sterling Equities’ claims, sources familiar with the investigation who didn’t want to be identified indicate it didn’t lose money and was able to withdraw about $50 million over what it invested with Madoff.
Full article: http://www.newsday.com/business/mets-owner-strikes-out-with-madoff-trustee-1.1502744?localLinksEnabled=false
Now this may be just one small part of what the Mets invested with Madoff – maybe it’s Fred’s personal money that took the hit. I don’t know, what I do know is that you never get something for nothing which all of Madoff’s client tried to do.
Oy Veh!
_______________________________
Jeff says: “And what the payroll is, we didn’t necessarily spend well with $147 million this year, so I don’t want to say what it’s going to be. Last year we started the offseason with a $135 million payroll. It went up to $147 [million]. We didn’t have that as a plan.”
Well, let’s do the math: 147m – 135m = 12m = OLLIE, OLLIE OXENFREE!!!
Oy Veh!
_______________________________
If Wally Backman gets the AA managerial post, I’ll send him a case of Smirnoff and a box of freshly pressed button-down shirts from the Tony Bernazard collection.
Frankly, I think we should just invite the entire 1986 roster to assume all organizational posts:
GM – Ron Darling
Manager – Backman
Bench Coach – Darryl
First Base Coach: Carter
Third Base Coach: Ray Knight
Hitting Instructor – Mex
Baserunning Instructor – Mookie
Pitching Coach – Bobby Ojeda
Director of Player Rehab: Doc
Director of Player Investments: Lenny
And one more thing: Firing Sandy Alomar and Luis Alicea, while retaining Razor Shines, Dan Warthen and HoJo is like rearranging chairs on the Titanic.
Warthen should be issued his AARP card and told to “WALK” to the door. If anything, the Met reputation has always centered around strong pitching. The walks absolutely killed us this year. My 11-year old can throw strikes.
HoJo. My last impression of him as a player is standing at home plate in a dull stupor at Dodger stadium after striking out to end the 1988 NL Championship Series when a fan skipped by him and stole his helmut right off his balding head. I don’t think HoJo’s brain grew back with his hair.
Razor Shines. One thing we do know is that if he was a baserunning coach, his on-the-fly decisions were as immediate and disastrous as a train wreck. I suspect that as a bench coach we’ll get to see his faulty baseball logic unfold in slow motion.
_____________________________________
Notwithstanding the above criticisms, I credit the Met organization for getting out there at the first available opportunity to address the tough issues that this past season presented.
Frankly, the major league squad has to get younger and more durable. That’s why I’m doing headstands for this club to make an offer to the Cincinnati Reds for Brandon Phillips, who brings a power bat to 2nd base. If so, Pagan and Murphy can get a full-year to prove their worth at left field and first base, respectively. If it doesn’t work out, then Carl Crawford w/b available as a FA the next year, and Ike Davis should be ready to assume the ML Post as a first baseman.
Further, we could use our cash (30m is coming off the books this year) to land John Lackey and Joel Pineiro:
Santana, Lackey, Pineiro, Maine, Niese/Nieve/Figgy/Redding
Pagan
Reyes
Wright
Beltran
Phillips
Murphy
Francouer
Santos/Thole
Pitcher
Director of player investments…very, very funny. I am sure Lenny would take that position in a heartbeat right now. Took me a minute to catch that…LMAO
I say that with Omar now having to run all trades, signing and acquisitions through another entity at the Mets maybe now he will learn that aging players are not the answer, that you don’t bid against yourself for players that are not stars, Castillo and Ollie, and that any trades have to have a positive ledger side for Mets. Oh, plus you have to look to the future needs and if any up and coming prospects will fill that need and for heavens sake drop the Bernazard strategy of rushing young players up; let them develop against their own peers.
Please, enough with the “86 team leading the current team. Many players that were stars do not make good mgmt or mgrs. or coaches because of the the high standards they hold other to.
Give Jerry and Omar a short leash, with the whole team together, and then make changes. IMO. Lets Go Mets 2010! I believe they will be a better team.