1
2011
If Jose Reyes Re-signs, Payroll And Flexibility Take a Major Hit
An article by 
I came across a short, but interesting piece from Chris McShane of Amazin’ Avenue that talked about the future payroll of the Mets if Jose Reyes resigned with the team.
Credit: Baseball Prospectus and Amazin' Avenue
During Thursday’s media event at Citi Field, GM Sandy Alderson said that resigning Reyes “can happen” within the $100-110 million dollar projected payroll. However, signing Jose Reyes to an extension comes with a problem he warned, that would affect the teams payroll flexibility for the next couple of years.
I know Alderson has a very tough decision to make, but as a fan, would you rather live with losing Jose to another team like the Phillies, or would you want to have him back, but lose a lot of payroll and the flexibility that comes with it? If I had to make that choice, it would be easy. I would rather keep Jose, and lose a bit of payroll flexibility. Here’s why.
This season just two of the eight playoff teams spent more than $110 million on payroll (Yankees and Phillies), four teams spent between $85 and $105 million (Cardinals, Rangers, Brewers and Tigers), and two teams spent less than $55 million (Rays and D-Backs).
You don’t need to have one of the highest payrolls in baseball to make the postseason. If the Rays and the D’Backs can spend only $55 million to make the playoffs, then the Mets can certainly do the same with $110 million and do it with Jose Reyes.
I would rather see Reyes back with the Mets rather than seeing him continue to dazzle with another team like the Phillies, or the Giants.Your thoughts?
About the Author: Brandon Butler
Brandon is currently a MMO Minor League Staff Writer. He is also the co-host of the Mets Madness Podcast on Talkshoe Radio. Brandon lives in Hornell, NY.
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I AGREE WITH YOUR $$$ NUMBERS; HOWEVER, I’M CURIOUS AS TO WHUICH 3 PLAYERS U HAVE LOCKED IN FOR ’14 & WHY AT LESS THAN 30M WHEN THE ONLY PLAYERS I CAN CONCEIVE OF BEING THERE BASED UPON YOUR PARAMETERS ARE REYES – 20M?. WRIGHT – 16M(OPTION) & SANTANA WHOM I PERSONALY DOUBT WILL HAVE HIS 35M OPTION FOR ’14 PICKED UP. I CERTAINLY WOULDN’T FOR a 35 YR OLD SP WITH HIS PHYSICAL ISSUES.
AS I SEE 2014, THE ONLY “KNOWN/PRESUMED COMMITMENTS WILL BE TO REYES & WRIGHT AS I WOULD CONCLUDE THE 25M OPTION FOR SANTANA AS WELL AS THE 17M OPTION FOR BAY WILL BE BOUGHT OUT FOR 5.5M & 3M RESPECTIVELY
IF MY ASSUMPTIONS ARE CORRECT THAT REDUCES THE PLAYERS UNDER CONTRACT COUNT FOR 2014 TO ONLY 2 WHILE THE LIKELY PAYROLL COMMITMENT IS APPROX 36M. 20 FOR REYES & 16 ON OPTION TO WRIGHT.
Did you forget about Bay?
’62, 2014 on that graph is three players with the guaranteed money only. In this example Reyes at the 20 M and only that money guaranteed (ie the buyout) for Santana and Bay.
Is that contract option correct? 35 M for one year and a 5.5 M option? WOW. That is either one hell of a last payday or one hell of a gold watch.
Man the money taken on during the Minaya era has really been unbelivable.
SORRY, FAT MISGUIDED FINGERS & MISREAD PROOFREAD THE 35 SHOULD READ 25; BUT WHAT’S 10M BETWEEN FRIENDS? OL EITHER WAY I PREDICT BUYOUT OVER PICKUP FOR THE 35 YR OLD.
Got ya ’62. I’ll never quibble over 10 M with you that’s for sure.
The problem I have with Alderson’s statement is that it sends a message to Reyes and his agent that, should he decide to re-sign, there will be little chance to improve the team elsewhere and, thus, a reduced chance of contending in 2012. It also sends them the message that maybe they think he’s a little greedy and want to see what kind of team player he is AND if he’s willing to give them the “home town” discount. Most free agents like to know that the team they’re currently playing for will be actively trying to improve to either become competitive or remian so. But the message to Reyes right now seems to be: we CAN re-sign you, but we might not be able to do much else for the team.
So, where does the fault for this unacceptable situation lie? You guessed it! Fred, Jeff, and Saul with their questionable investment and money management skills have put the Mets in the position of having to decide Reyes/nothing or everything else/no Reyes. Such a travesty that a NY sports franchise ends up in this predicament.
Good point there, It also send that message to every other free agent that is out there as well.
I know the fans like to see openess but the truth of the matter is a smart business man never lets on what his plan is just promotes the good aspects of it while shading the pitfalls from public view.
I don’t know who the target of Sandy’s quotes were (Reyes’ Agent or US) but it would seem to me a message that should have been kept quiet!
It serves no purpose other than to let everyone know if you want more money don’t bother calling, Call someone else!
Not the way to lure a free agent you may want and feel is worth signing because they will dismiss you as not serious before you even got to say your piece and make an offer!
86er, NO WHAT IT’S SAYING IS THAT SHOULD THEY INK REYES @ 20M OR SO THERE IS LITTLE LIKELIHOOD OF ANOTHER BEING ADDED IN A STRATOSPHERIC RANGE, NO DIFFERENT THAN PHILLIES, BRAVES OR ANY OTHE “NORMAL” FRANCHISE NOT NAMED NYY OR BOS AS THEY FEED OFF ONE ANOTHER.
86, THE IMPROVEMENTS TO BE EXPECTED ARE ALL LIKELY TO RESUCE EXPENDITURES OVER THE NEXT 5Y NOT INCREASE THEM AS I SEE IT THE BEST IMPROVMENTS TO BE MADE WILL LIKRLY BE EFFECTIVE 2013/14 & BE NAMED HARVEY,WHEELER,MEJIA,FAMILIA,GORSKI,NIESE,GEE WHERE THE ROTATION IS POSITIONED WITH 2 YOUNG VETS, NIESE,GEE & COMPLETED BY PRIMARILY BY THE BEST OF” HARVEY,WHEELERM,FAMILIA,GORDSKI WITYH MEJIA ASSUMING THE CLOSER ROLE & PARNELL RESUMING HIS SETUP ROLE.
VICTORIOUS CONTENDING RUNS ARE FOUNDED UPON STRONG PITCHING AS PROVEN BY THE BRAVES IN THE 90s, THE CURRENT PHILLIES & THE METS OF 84-88. YOU BUILD YOUR PITCHING THEN PROCEED TO GROW OR ACQUIRE THE POSITIONERS BEHIND THE PITCHING REYES’ LIKELY STRONGEST SUITORS IN MY ESTIMATION MAY BE THE GIANTS & THE GNATS REPRESENTING A TEAM IN DECLINE(SF) & ONE ON THE COME(DC) ALDERSON’S APPROACH SHOULD BE THROTTLED BY WHICH IS THE GREATER THREAT IN SEDUCING JOSE, IF SF IT’S MAKE YOUR BEST OFFER & SALESPITCH OPENING THE KIMONA TO THE FUTURE PITCHING IN THE WINGS, IF IT’S DC THEN IT’S BALLS TO THE WALL SULLCOURT STRETCH TO THE ULTIMATE TEAM LIMIT.
86mets, you certainly bring up a very good point. I mean if the Wilpons weren’t sued, I wonder if the team would have more money in the payroll. I do agree that the Wilpons should go, but its probably not going to happen. You definitely brought up a great point 86Mets. Great point.
This was exactly what I was thinking 86, Reyes sitting their weighing staying for 100, moving on for 120 and at least a chance to be in it. Could really be the deciding factor very easily.
It really is such a shame. Paying out of this world sky high salaries to everyone else’s players because of neglecting the farm for two decades and then having to let go one of the very few fruits of our own system because you can’t afford to pay him. What a nightmare.
You can’t fault Minaya for upping him in 2006 although an extra guaranteed year and an additional club option year might have been feasible back then and taken him to age 30. lesson learned.
Shame too that we can pay through the nose for what guys have done for their former team but we have nothing to give our own for what he’s given us through the years.
As much as I love Reyes, I don’t know that I would give him $20 million a year! His game is based on his legs and that’s been a problem….
RACHEL DON’T BE FOOLISH & COMPARE JOSE TO AVERAGE PLAYERS BY ANY MEANS AS THAT’S THE ONLY WAY HIS PLAYING IN 72% OF CAREER GAMES HUERTS HIM; BUT IF U REALISTICLY COMPRE HIM TO “FIREBRAND” PEER TYPES LIKE:
RICKEY HENDERSON
LOU BROCK
VINCE COLEMAN
TIM ‘ROCK’ RAINES Sr
MAUREY WILLS
JIMMY ROLLINS
RAFAEL FURCAL
YOU’LL QUICKY DISCOVER THE OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION WROUGHT BY THESE HISTORIC TYPES COME WITH A PENCHANT FOR INJURIES MISSING BETWEEN 25 & 35 % OF GAMES & REYES 28% IS NOT OUTRAGFEOUS BY LEVEL COMPARISON. CERTAINLY HE’S FAR MORE LIKELY TO PROVIDE MORE ROI THAN WE’RE LIKELY TO SEE FROM THE REMAINING 49,5M GUARANTEED TO SANTANA FOR HIS AGE 33 & 34 YRS
RACHEL FOR EVER REWARD ON A BASEBALL FIELD THERE’S AN OFSETTING RISK, IT CERTAINLY SHOULDN’T TAKE TOO MUCH IMAGINATION TO FORSEE THE MISERABLE OFFENSE A REYESLESS LINEUP WILL PROVIDE.
I agree Brandon I would rather see them resign Reyes.
Even if it meant less Payroll flexibility later! I personally don’t see where signing him reduces flexibility. If it does it’s only because of self imposed limits not anything the MLB has forced upon us.
I certainly understand the need to spend within budget. The Budget is largely determined by attendance which we all know is poor at this point in time, but playing inspired winning baseball can quickly change that!
Look no further than the mid season reduction on the estimate of what the team was going to lose this year for proof. We started the season with an estimated loss of 70 Mil. Sometime in late July after some quite inspired baseball play from all the kids that number dropped to 50 Mil because people started to go to see them when they were playing really good!
And while your correct to point out that only two of eight playoff teams spent more than Sandy proposes, Those two teams are the only ones who did not have to scrap and fight their way in as they were the best teams in baseball despite playing in the two toughest divisions in the league.
Winning handily is what drives the ticket sales which in the end determine how much you can spend to maintain it. It’s a catch 22 but once you have a winning team you can ensure it stays that way with spending.
We are not there yet and yes Sandy needed to get the finances in order. This was always going to happen even if Omar was here as this year many of the big hold us while we develop signings were due to expire. Beltran, Reyes, K-Rod, Perez and Castillo’s contracts all were set to go this season.
I say that was by design as it corresponded to Omars contract also coming up for renewal.
It would have cleared salary in time to resign Reyes with enough left over to re-sign Wright whose contract comes up the following year.
I don’t expect Sandy to spend more than Attendance will pay for, but by signing Reyes and a little winning I don’t see any reason for the Payroll to be limited merely by Reyes signing.
And if I know NY the way I do, Sandy can try to play it cheap but in the end it’s going to come down to do they win or not! If Not then no one is going to care about how good he was on spending, and he will get sent away as quickly (maybe quicker) than Omar did!
They say that a poor start doesn’t matter as it’s a long season. Might be true for the standings but it’s not true when it comes to fan perception of the team.
That poor start killed any chance of getting a good showing at the park and if not for that they might not have lost money last year they probably would have made money the way they were playing.
So whatever moves he makes better pay off with a quick and respectable start, followed by some of the same inspired baseball we saw in June and July. If not he is NOT going to have the flexibility of money to work with, and as much as the numbers say you can win with low payroll, you have to lose for years and years to collect enough kids to be able to do that.
And Sandy won’t live in his job long enough to see that happen!
That’s where I see 20 M being a flat out wash with the potential of being even more than that. Reyes by himself simply has to bring in an extra X number of fans all by himself. Not signing him will cause us to LOSE attendance the team simply cannot afford to lose and a good start would actually bring it up. There simply cannot be a question that Reyes helps you win baseball games.
He’s also the most iconic Met player since Seaver. Furthur to that he’s a real bridge to 2014 when he could very easily be joined by 5-15 other truly talented long term, homegrown Mets making minimum!
Not all of these guys will make it up here and some that do will struggle initially but it really isn’t beyond reason to think that Familia, Mejia, Harvey, Wheeler, Gorski, Niese, Gee, McHugh, Cruz, De La Torre, Edgan, Leathersuch, Mazzoni, Fuller, Carson could either be here or be traded for other pitchers under team control.
Catcher needs to be addressed but maybe Centano or Cordero come through. Davis, Tejada/Havens, Lutz/Flores, Ratliff/Lagares, Puello/Kirk/MDD, Duda/Fern or guys they bring in trades that are still under team control.
You really could be looking at a top talent roster with a 60M budget WITH Reyes in 2014. He would be the bridge that gets you there. Keeps you close and more importantly relevant until you get there. Keeps your fan base from eroding even furthur so when you do get there, there are still people who care.
One other point is many years ago Ted Turner offered Pete Rose a humongous deal. Rose turned it down and took a lot less with Philly but said later that Turner could offer him so much more because of ratings on TBS. How about the ratings on SNY? Where do you think there going without Reyes?
Well even Reyes on board is not going to solve the attendance issues.
What will is 15-20 more games in the Win column.
Reyes’ money is a wash even without them yes…
The question is can you get those 15-20 extra wins without him and you have to say at this point the answer is no!
I will go back to the Deli analogy.
Sure you don’t get enough customers to support buying the best cuts of meat.
But if you don’t continue to offer them then you may lose customers.
So instead of cheaping out on one of the few reasons to go to your store you find other ways of generating the customers.
Keep Reyes and Improve something else!
It won’t cost 20 Mil more to do that!
Get another 10 wins and you will get that 20 Mil and more because you would be in the Wildcard race for most of the season.
Get another 5 on top of that and your in the playoffs, Money issues gone! Your 40 Mil in the Black!
And all it really takes is fixing that Pitching staff even if we have the same exact regular position players as we had this year!
But since the kids who can fix the pitching are roughly a year away it makes a lot more sense to spend another 10 Mil on top of Reyes for a good starter and the rest of whats left of the 110Mil target on Bullpen and you can turn this thing around.
WITHOUT rushing kids up too quick which seems to be what everyone thinks has been the problem with us developing pitchers.
LMAO @ this graph. Someone needs to explain this to me, Amazing ANIMALS and the BUFFOONS @ Baseball Prospectools:
Why are we limiting payroll over the next 3 years?
Baseball payrolls are RISING. They’re NOT shrinking. Explain to me WHY ours is sinking once again?
What a scam the Wilpons are running on us. They certainly learned from the best, that’s for sure. And the media, fans and Met fans are falling for it hook, line and sinker…SMH
OmarFan, that graph is only money currently committed IF we signed Reyes to a 20 M deal. The 2014 bar only includes Reyes 20 M and Santana and Bay’s buyouts. It’s not a payroll projection.
LOL AGEE….I know what the GODDAMNED graph stands for, man. Stop acting like I need YOU, or any one of the stat loving fans of this or any site, to educate me about reading rudimentary graphs. The entire DUMB @SS point of his article is we are playing with less money and I need to know WHY are we being TRICKED into thinking the Mets need to budget themselves @ 100 or 110?????
What’s the point? The budget needs to be what it was in 2006? Why? Are you shitting me, man? Fans that believe we need to play in that ballpark are completely ignorant. We have our own network, millions of fans in NYC, and we need to BUDGET as if we’re the Marlins? This is preposterous.
If the FUGGIN Wilpons can’t afford 140 million dollar payrolls, they need to get the F out of the business. These men are billionaires for God’s sake. The Mets are not “bleeding” money. Anyone who thinks that is an imbecile.
Plus the graph doesn’t include any other scenarios that can free up money and restore flexibility while retaining Reyes. And we all know the there is one very attractive scenario that’s not being mentioned
Alderson, in his ivy league way is making it sound like he’s trying to convince the public that there is no advantage to signing Reyes and will set the team back in the long run.
We all know that there is, in fact, a scenario that the Mets CAN have financial flexibility AND sign Reyes
You have such an eloquence with the keyboard.
Your desire for the Mets to be the Yankees is apparent. Feel free to defect.
This team isn’t bleeding money (losing). If you believe that, you’re insane. If the Mets drew over 2 million rear ends to the park, they made money.
If you can produce a shred of evidence on this, I’ll believe you. Until then, I have to roll with the many other reports that this team lost money this past year.
And even if SNY made money, but the Mets themselves lost money, you can’t arbitrarily take money from one company to cover the loses of another. Federal rules and regs and all that.
You are nasty and vial. Are you capable of posting at least once a day without insulting and name calling?
When did this site allow 12 year olds in?
OMAR, UNLESS U R LIVING UNDER THOSE ‘GEICO’ ROCKS IT’S PRETTY EVIDENT THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY FOR A HUGE PAYOUT OF MONEY DUE TO ‘MADOFF’ SUIT, AS SUCH CONSERVATIVE, PRUDENT BUSINESSMEN PREPARE BY TIGHTENING OPERATIONAL CONTROLLABLE EXPENSES. BTW, STERLING OR NYM ARE NOT SOLE OWNERS OF SNY SO TO REFER TO THEM AS “OUR” NETWORK IS A BIT OF A MISNOMER. IF I’M NOT MISTAKEN, CABLEVISION & THE JETS AMONG OTHERS HOLD A CONSIDERABLE % OF THE CONTROL, JUST BECAUSE THE SNY COO IS ALSO JEFF IS BY NO MEANS CAUSE FOR CONSIDERING SNY AN ASSET OR EVEN AN ALLY. TBS WAS 100% TED TURNER, YES, THE YANKS. STERLING ENTERPRISES, AS OUR OWNER, HAS DELUIBERATELY SEPARATED SNY, NYM & CITIFIELD NAMING $$$ FROM EACH OTHER. THERE IS NO COMINGLING OF FUNDS FOR NYM PAYROLL USAGE, THEREFORE THE TEAM IS ON IT’S OWN AS FAR AS PROFITABILITY IS CONCERNED, LEADING TO A SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED PAYROLL FROM TOP 5 TO MORE LIKELY BOTTOM OF TOP 10 OF 30 MLB FRANCHISES. DRACONIAN MEASURES? ONLY IN YOUR MIND/PERCEPTUION.
I think we all understand that, 62. You really think these men are living paycheck to paycheck? These gentlemen are billionaires many times over. And SNY provides VERY generous revenues. SNY is a substantial asset. Don’t be fooled by reports to the contrary. If SNY generates 1 billion dollars in revenue, 650 million of that revenue belongs to the Mets aka the Wilpons. The rest belongs to Time Warner/Comcast.
Don’t be fooled, my friend. That’s why it’s a JOKE to say the Wilpons are bleeding money.
Mets fans need to wake up and see the SCAM being run on them by our owners.
OMARFAN, THE ONLY RESOURCE I’VE LOCATED TO INDICATE ANY COMPARATIVE NET WORTH VALUE FOR TYHE VARIOUS MLB FRANCHISE OWNERS CAN BE FOUND HERE:
http://blog.prorumors.com/?s=how+nl+east+owners+made+their+money
BE IT ACURATE OR NOT IT’S AT LEAST INDICATIVE & AS IT COVERS ALL 30 THEN I PRESUME IT’S EQUALLY ACCURATE OR INACCURATE MAKING A COMPARASON USAGE SOMEWHAT VALID FOR GUESSING PURPOSES AS WE ALL DO HERE. AS SUCH OF THOSE OWNERS FOR WHICH A VALUE IS REPORTED THE WILPONS’S 500M NET WORTH CERTAINLY ISN’T PAUPERISH BY ANY MEANS(ONE OF THE LOWEST ESTIMATIONS), CERTAINLY NOT SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH TO NOT BLINK AT THE POSSIBLITY OF A COURTROOM LOSS TO PICARD
FUTHERMORE, I BELIEVE IT’S REDICULOUS FOR ANY OF US TO DEMAND FROM ANY OWNERSHIP THAT THEY GO “ALL IN” WITH THEIR TOTAL WORTH, WHEN WE THE FANBASE ARE BALKING AT INVESTING ANOTHER GAME’S TICKET PRICES WHEN OUR DESIRES ARE LEFT UNFULFILLED. LOOK, MY FRIEND, I PERSONALLY AM IN DANGER OF BEING CARPET BOMBED BY THIS ADMINISTRATION’S TAX VIEWS, YET PESONAL CIRCUMSTANCES & RESPONSIBILITIES LIKE COLLEGE TUITION, HOSPITAL DEBTS DEMAND MORE OF MY VALUE AS TO MAKE SAY ANT PROPOSED INCREASE INMLB PKG PRICES A CONSIDERABLE THOUGHT PROVOKER. NONE OF US HAVE THE RIGHT TO ALLOCATE ANY ONE ELSE’S MONEY; ISN’T THAT WHAT NOVEMBER, ’12 IS ALL ABOUT? LOL
Trading Wright will free up money, Brandon. That’s how I would free up money and make us a better team faster at the same time. Everybody keeps talking about how signing Reyes will reduce the Mets chances to improve in other areas but I’m saying well trading Wright for pitchingwill put the Mets back into a good position and maybe even free up enough money to get another pitcher.
If Alderson would use my scenario, or if he even considered this scenario than he would have to make public statements that sound like they’re pointing the finger at Reyes and telling the fans “well if we sign Jose we’re not gonna be able to make moves”. Hogwash. Good point by 86mets.
Every day I’m more convinced that Reyes is a goner and I think that’s a HUGE mistake. Never mind from a fan revolt perspective or anything like that, but to me it’s not the direction to go in order to make this team a contender faster.
Also by trading Wright to free up money after they sign Reyes would turn that graph right around.
The low end would be first (now) with the high end to the right
Then replace the words “Payroll Commitment” to “Winning Percentage”
It would be like Christmas and your birthday all rolled into one the day Wright goes. All because you know what you saw and don’t give a crap about facts, after all Murphy is still on 3rd base (someone, quick, tell him the season is over he can go home)
What has this team won with Reyes?
BAYONNE, WHILE I CAN UNDERSTAND YOUR CONSIDERING VIEWING WRIGHT AS EXPENDABLE FOR SUCH AS TRANSITORY ILLUSION AS “FREEING UP PAYROLL” BASED UPON HIS RECENT PAST.
I DON’T AGREE WITH IT; HOWEVER, I BELIEVE YOUR TIMING WOULD ABSOLUTELY SUCK AS ENVISIONING WRIGHT & BAY INTERSPERSED WITH DAVIS & DUDA WITH A FRIENDLIER LF STUCTURE, CERTAINLY INDICATES THE FUTURE PROMISE IS LIKELY IRRELEVANT TO THE PAST STRUGGLES TO EXACTLY WHAT PURPOSE DO U BELIEVE ANY PAYROLL FLEXIBLITY WILL BE APPLIED? IF U BELIEVE THERE ARE ANY THOUGHTS IN THE STERLING OFFICES THAT THIS IS A TEMPORARY RETREAT FOM HIGH SPENDING, I BELIEVE U R MISTAKEN. IT IS MY CONTENTION THAT THE BUDGET OF 100-110M FOR PAYROLL WILL REMAIN RATHER STEADFASTEVEN WITHE THE ACTUAL @ 90 OR 106. CONSIDERING HOW SO MANY MORE TEAMS SPEND LESS THAN THAT & HOW FEW “SUCCESSFULLY” SPEND MORE. ADVANCING BACK TO THE UPPER TIER IN LIGHT OF PAST FAILURES WOULD BE A VERY DIFFICULT ARGUEMENT TO WIN @ 75 Rockefeller Plaza, 29th Floor, New York, NY 10019 Tel: 212.485.4400 Fax: 212.485.4341 THE STERLING ENTERPRISES HDQTRS OFFICE. SINCE 1982, THE METS’ LEVEL OF PAYROLL INVESTMENT HAS FLUCTUATED CONSIDERABLY AS I NOTE HERE OVER THE PAST 22 YRS SINCE 1990:
YEAR |PAYROLL POSITION | GM | RESULTS | +/- .500
’90 | #2 | CASHEN | 91-71 | –
’91 | #4 | CASHEN | 77-84 | -
’92 | #1 | HARAZIN | 72-90 | -
’93 | #5 | HARAZIN | 59-103 | -
’94 | #17 | McILVANE | 55-58 | -
’95 | #24 | MciLVANE | 69-75 | -
’96 | #21 | McILVANE | 71-91 | -
’97 | #16 | McILVANE/PHILLIPS |88-74 | +
’98 | #9 | CASHEN/PHILLIPS |8-74 | +
’99 | #6 | PHILLIPS | 97-66 | +
’00 | #6 | PHILLIPS | 94-68 | +
’01 | #4 | PHILLIPS | 82-80 | +
’02* | #6 | PHILLIPS | 75-86 | -
’03 | #2 | PHILLIPS | 66-95 | -
’04 | #4 | DUQUETTE | 81-91 | -
’05 | #3 | MINAYA | 83-79 | +
’06 | #5 | MINAYA | 97-65 | +
’07 | #3 | MINAYA | 88-74 | +
’08 | #2 | MINAYA | 89-73 | +
’09 | #2 | MINAYA | 70-92 | -
’10 | #5 | MINAYA | 79-83 | -
’11 | #7 | ALDERSON | 77-85 | -
*STERLING BUYOUT EFFECTIVE. JEFF BECOMES C.Uh.OH.
AS MLB PAYROLL STANDARDS HAVE FLUCTUATED LIKE AN OBAMA STOCK MARKET, THE ACTUAL $$$ IS RELATIVELY IRRELEVANT MAKING SPENDING POSITION VIS A VIS COMPETITORS/PEERS THE MORERELEVANT COMPASRATIVE FOR INSTANCE THE ONE TIME #1 PAYROLL POSITION IN 1992 WAS A TOTAL PAYROLL OF ONLY $ 44,352,002 LEADING TO THE “WORST TEAM MONEY CAN BUY” LABEL
I CERTAINLY HOPE THE ABOVE #s ARE DISTINGUISHABLE ONCE I SUBMIT THIS.
simple solution to signing reyes, and still having payroll flexibility.
1) sign reyes
2) win more games
3) sell more tickets, beers, etc. to increase revenue
4) Increase payroll.
It’s a business. #4 doesn’t happen until #3 kicks in. Teams budget to expected revenue (and the spending follows the inflow).
If some new owner comes in and leverages the hell out of the team to buy it, so they have a ton of debt service, and attendance is where it is now, highly unlikely they are immediately going to spend 10s of millions more than they are bringing in on the team.
Jose is very important for the team to get back the salary that they pay him and the
other members of the team.
Because he is such an exciting player that he brings people to the park regardless if
it is home or away.
And that is the foundation of any business. Have a product that the people want, and
they will not only pay you for it, but they will also give the owners a profit on top
of it in order to get some part of your product.
And that is the way that the owner gets back their salary money, and cream on top of
it.
Yet that also means that the fans need to got see them play.
And one may not really know if that will happen. Perhaps their last few Mets bad
years, or a further eco downturn could be blowing in the wind could turn them away.
But let us hope for the good parts.
Lets go Mets!!!
Reyes is certainly a long term plan. And as the graph shows, going with the extreme case of going with buy outs and not picking up options, this team is not really hampered in the long run by financial obligations. Even if they sign Reyes and are limited this year (which is somewhat silly to me as there really isn’t a difference in a 110 vs. 120 million dollar payroll. 110 to 140, yeah I can see a difference in that.), over then next year or 2, you’ll have a combination of the prospects hitting the bigs and the big money coming off the books. And with the FA class next year in starting pitching as well as CF… those really could be the last bits to an extended run at the playoffs.
I know you all hate patience, but really, if this team could plan for the long haul, realize Reyes (and ideally CJ Wilson, but i doubt it) is part of the long term solution, the flexibility to add pieces to a solid team if there. That is what free agency should be. Adding the last pieces to a decent group to push it over the edge. Not being the way to build the entire team.