Eight Things That Mets/CRG Will Lead To

68 Comments + Add Comment

• metsfan73 January 7, 2012 at 9:30 am

  This ownership group is incompetent, and should do everyone a favor and just sell. The fans of this franchise shouldn’t have to go through a five year rebuilding period. Reyes and Wright ARE homegrown talent, that should have had the opportunity to play their entire careers for this organization. It’s a shame the Wilpon’s selfishness is harming the franchise and the fans. Real insightful post -thanks.
  • any January 7, 2012 at 9:35 am

    It’s like the scene from the 1st Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Do you like rebuilding phases? Well, you’re in one!

    at this point, even if they had to sell to new owners it wouldn’t really come into play until the 2013 season (product on the field) so their is going to be a lot of rebuilding required no matter what, and likely more than a couple of FAs are going to cover.
• any January 7, 2012 at 9:32 am

  You seem to be supporting something I have said for a long time, which is that a primary reason Sandy was brought in was to rebuild the organization from the ground up (the foundation including player development). And if you are really going to go on a low payroll model, then you sure as hell better have a very strong system from scouting on up.

  but 60mill payroll 4 years from now? If they haven’t stabilized the team and developed enough talent to require a payroll higher than that by 2015, they won’t still be here.

  anyway, you forgot the one additional piece to make this work (assuming they want some fannies in the seat). They will have to lower ticket prices accordingly.
  • Joe D January 7, 2012 at 9:39 am

    If they stick to a payroll model as I described, and do all those other things particularly the player development and scouting, they will have bolstered the team and possibly returned it to juggernaut status. A couple of last place finishes along the way, a couple of #1 overall picks maybe, and couple of top prospects like Doc and Straw, and in 5 years they are back in the black with a solid core and money to burn. That’s how the Wilpons did it immediately after they bought the team. This for them is going back to their roots and doing what worked before.
    • any January 7, 2012 at 9:51 am

      except to be at 60 mill payroll in 2015, doesn’t that mean they will have had to let another wave of young studs go (Ike, etc.?) So I don’t see the juggernaut by then.
    • NJstuckinTX January 7, 2012 at 9:55 am

      Plus, the 5 year plan at that general payroll level enables the team to put a major financial focus back on the repayment of loans and such. So, if the few years of sucking and revamping the minors enables the team to put some competitive teams together in 2014, and the money starts rolling in, it may speed the process to see a higher creeping payroll in 2015/2016. Just my opinion.

      As Tom Petty said, It’s the waiting that’s the hardest part. Having the patience to sit and watch this team rebuild, becoming sustainable from a talent level coming up from the minors, is going to be difficult. No one wants to suck like Tampa Bay did, but they aren’t looking too shabby right now, and this is after they jettisoned multiple players in the 2010 offseason… So, it’s not impossible to say the Mets can do the same.

      Now, assuming 85 mil this year, minus Pelf, possibly Dickey (who is probably worth keeping around), Wright would put the team below 70 mil. Now, if something can be done on par with Big Z for Santana and Bay, well, then the full Kiddie Core is in full effect.
    • Brian January 7, 2012 at 10:19 am

      But Joe, I think you miss the big point. When the Wilpons first got involved in 1980, they owned less than 2 percent of the team. Fred was the managing partner, but he had to listen to Nelson Doubleday who owned 77 percent and others who owned way more than he.

      Frank Cashen hired Lou Gorman who built the system- Straw, Doc, Dykstra, Jefferies, Aguilera, McDowell, Kevin Mitchell were Gorman’s guys. Cashen hauled in Darling, Terrell (Howard Johnson), and Sid Fernandez via trade. Hubie, Mookie, Wally, and Jesse Orosco were already in the system prior to February 21, 1980.

      The point is, since 1987, and maybe before that when Lou Gorman left for Boston, the Mets minor league system has produced 2 all star position players and 1 pitcher who became an all-star due to a hot first half (Bobby Jones in 1997).

      Does your assumption of payroll also take into account that even 2 million fans showing up at CitiField could be a pipe dream by 2014?

      Point is, the Wilpons are completely unable to steward a solid organization. They have been the roadblock to every period of Mets success (all two of them) since 1990. They mettle too much, especially the special son in the big office with all the toys in it. If they come out from under this and MLB backs off, Sandy, Ricciardi and DePodesta will go and they will revert to their hierarchical structure of yes men and sycophants like Dave Howard and Jay Horowitz running the show- Phillips, Harazin, Duquetter, Minaya, and . Remember, they had no use for Joe McIlvaine because he was too independent, and Bobby Valentine because he wasn’t afraid to open his mouth.

      I for one am hoping the debt will crush them. Between JP Morgan, the CitiField, SNY and other debts, they can’t possibly pay off with their current business model. And they can’t settle the lawsuit because I remember reading that even a settlement above $50 million triggers a default clause in the JP Morgan debt on the team and the bank can call in the $430 million immediately.
      • Joe D January 7, 2012 at 12:12 pm

        Brian, what I’m saying is that the Wilpons will follow a pattern of success that worked before from 80-86. They were on hand as minority owners to see that work.

        Bud Selig sent them Alderson to make sure the operation is run the right way with no meddling from them.

        Selig will not let the Wilpons wither away like most of us want and Selig’s successor will carry on in his steps and may even be Alderson himself if the other owners approve. The Mets are Alderson’s test.
        • Paul K January 8, 2012 at 12:01 pm

          Big assumption that they will learn from other’s successes.
    • Mike Lloyd January 7, 2012 at 1:47 pm

      No offense intended Joe, but this was how Doubleday did it back then… Fred and Uncle Saul were lower stake minority owners back then, and Cashen was a much better judge of talent than Alderson is. Also, teams like Texas were willing to part with Darling and Terrell for a washed up Mazilli…now EVERY TEAM is looking to the draft, nobody will be dealing away 2/5 ‘s of a starting rotation for a nearly washed up player. Cashen took 3 years to deal for Hernandez, everyone’s smarter, so a 5 year plan will take much longer, if some of your prospects don’t pan out, and, lets face it, most don’t. That’s why you see teams like San Diego and Oakland dealing away younger controllable players to garner elite type can’t miss type prospects, proven controllable commodities for larger prospect hauls. It s why I expect the Mets to deal Ike and Niese. Ike just needs to prove his ankle is healthy, gone. Niese improves a tick, gone. Wright,is as good as gone once his back is healthy. I would dare say Wright may be gone with borderline prospects by the end of ST, IF some team takes on just over half to 10 mil. salary. It’s a fait accompli.
      • Joe D January 7, 2012 at 2:03 pm

        No offense taken, Mike! Thanks for your input…
    • DaveSchneck January 8, 2012 at 1:45 pm

      Joe D. –
      This ownership will not survive on that 5 year payroll plan unles they can field a playoff caliber squad on those funds…possible but unlikely. Things are much different today than in 1980, and the Wilpons were not a controlling interest back then anyway. The Mets are in much greater debt now due to the new stadium. Also, SNY is profitable but it has large debt as well and needs a product, Met games, that rates hgh enough to entice enough advertising dollars to cover the operations and debt…hard to do with a lousy team. There are two fixes, win to increase revenue, or get a new owner with cash to invest in improving the product.
      • Bayonne Mets Fan January 8, 2012 at 2:30 pm

        I have a question for you Dave Schneck,

        Do you think the new GM is doing what he can to win with the current resources or do you think he’s mailing it in in order to save money and in essence, kind of making it worse?
        • DaveSchneck January 9, 2012 at 2:45 pm

          BMF,
          It appears to me that Alderson doing his best with minimal financial resources. A 100-loss season will bury the Wilpons even if Madoff doesn’t. I think if he had $110 million for payroll this year, he would make more moves to improve the team. He may have even retained Reyes, although I think that despite what was being said there was no way the Wilpons would permit a deal like he got from the Marlins. They are getting hit from all sides – underperformance on the big player contracts dloed out, big operationing losses from a bad record/lower attendance, and no personal cash reserves due to the Madoff situation.
• 86mets January 7, 2012 at 9:38 am

  If this company can come on board and help the Mets turn around the mess they’re in I’m all for it. Whether that means the Wilpons eventually sell (which I would like to see) or not, the bottom line is the state of the Mets and making them competitive again. It will take some time, but if this company can help right the ship, I’ll support that. Maybe this is finally one intelligent step the Wilpons are taking to fix this mess.
  • metsaddict77 January 7, 2012 at 10:04 am

    sounds like a fantasy to me.
    • 86mets January 7, 2012 at 12:54 pm

      You’re probably right, but what else can Mets fans fantasize about? Winning the 2012 WS? LOL
• Metstheory22 January 7, 2012 at 10:01 am

  Joe, you also forgot to say —How much they are going to pay CRG to tell them to reduce payroll and trade David Wright. I am sure it will not cost them a Cedeno contract. More like a David Wright contract.
  • Joe D January 7, 2012 at 11:31 am

    5% of whatever money they save the team after they finish their report and present their analysis. A mere pittance compared to the 95% they save. I have a call scheduled for Monday morning with the vice-president of a competing firm and I will also post more detail after we speak.
• Metfan Lou January 7, 2012 at 10:07 am

  All of the things on the to do list will not even come close to getting them on a sound financial footing. There dead boys and the sooner the Wilpons realize it and sell the team at the best price they can, the better off everything will be for everybody. The only way the Mets can compete is to put the following division together: Mets, Cubs, Astros, Royal, O’s and Mariners. Now that is a division we can compete in but so could the best Triple A teams. The point is attendance and interest in the Mets will not improve until the quality of the product is better. This article talks about millions but the Wilpons need hundreds of millions. These are just delaying shenanigans until the judge comes a callin’.
• DaveUpstateNY January 7, 2012 at 10:23 am

  By 2016, $60 million would probably not be possible for any club.
• Mr North Jersey January 7, 2012 at 11:09 am

  Regarding point 2 “Sublease Some Assets” the Mets are also looking to add another Spring Training team to Digital Domain Park. They been looking for one since last year and the city approved a bond of $2.5M I believe in improvements to the park to help draw a team. There are 4 teams left on the east coast the Mets in Port St. Lucie, the St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins in Jupiter and the Nationals in Viera and the Mets have a clause in there lease with St Lucie that if there are only 3 teams in the east coast they can opt out of their lease so the city will help how they can to have this not happen.
• flubs68 January 7, 2012 at 11:23 am

  The wilpons are clowns. . They bought the mets from doubleday with madoff money and have proceeded to destroy the franchise because it was built on a house of madoff cards. The stick their big noses where they don’t belong and have held back this team for decades. As much as I blame them for their sneaky underhanded actions, selig is now to blame for letting this go on because he is a wilpon flunky. Shame on him.
  • Mike Lloyd January 7, 2012 at 2:26 pm

    They really, in my opinion, were so shrewd, they bought this franchise not just with Madoff money, but smoke and mirrors. Going all the way back to ’80. Shrewd business men…but with each underhanded move, with each morally corrupt move to increase there stakes and shares in this franchise comes a price. And there’s a devil to pay. And he wants paid-,now
    • Des January 7, 2012 at 4:08 pm

      Mike — Much has bee written about the Wilpons and Uncle Bernie and it’s in vogue now to hit Fred and Saul with the same 2X4 board that should be used to pummel Bernie. But why? The SEC and JPMorgan Chase were intimately involved in the Madoff scandal. There may be compelling evidence of Chase’s blameworthiness, and the lax implementation of regulations and oversight by the SEC, but why are the Wilpons guilty of anything? As big as they are or were, they are small potatoes in the overall deception. I haven’t come across any facts that would lead me to conclude that Saul and Fred were involved in:
      ‘Smoke and mirrors’,
      ‘each underhanded move’,
      ‘each morally corrupt move’

      The burden of proof is on Irving Picard and so far he hasn’t done very well. Picard’s original claim is now worth less than thirty cents on a dollar and there’s some talk of it being ten cents on the dollar. Picard should be suing the banks and though it’s illegal, the SEC. Maybe the Wilpons don’t really know a lot about baseball and can’t tell one from a pelota. Maybe they know less of deceitful high level banking and inept government operations. Try as I did, I’m not convinced what they know. So I’m content to criticize their baseball operations and I’ll leave the rest to the courts.
      • Mike Lloyd January 7, 2012 at 7:20 pm

        You are right Des, complicity with the banks viewed through the prism of what has actually occured is a point of conjecture. Each real estate magnate who made untold millions throughout the last 30 years, has had a complicit partner in-the banking industry throughout the course of ‘building’ their portfolio and wealth. I didn’t say they
        were wrong, I just view it as morally corrupt because the bubble bursts, and as a country, as a people, as taxpayers, we footed the bill.
        So, in the final analysis, in a real sense, they weren’t wrong for what they did (Fred or Saul) but the whole banking industry, those who profitted from their lending practices, those politicians who were bought and sold through the banking lobbyists to enable the laws and oversight to not be there are the truly corrupt. I didn’t clarify enough for brevity’s sake. Fred was shrewd or wouldn’t have been able to start out with a 2 % stake and turn it into complete control of a near billion dollar commodity. But if you are naive enough to think that there was no moral wrongdoing in how he was able to acquire complete control of this franchise with the complicity of the immoral banking industry and the immoral banking lobby in Washington politics, than I have another ‘bridge to nowhere’ as Joe D. so eloquently wrote about not long ago to sell you. Immorality shrouded under the veil and guise of pure unadulterated greed. Capitilism is wonderful, but not as the founding fathers intended. Fred and Saul are not culpible for doing anything illegal, but there is immorality . Its doing something, knowing it’s wrong, but doing it anyway. Madoff, were Fred and Saul complicit with him, we will never know. But we the people, including you, I, and our grandchildren will pay the price for the system, for the broken system. I withdraw my comment of underhanded, but apologize for nothing else, I won’t apologize for being an idealist and believing in corruption, deception and immorality.
        The people, including us paid the price.
        • Des January 7, 2012 at 8:00 pm

          Mike Lloyd — You have an interesting point of view. Thanks for the reply.
          • Mike Lloyd January 7, 2012 at 9:01 pm

            Sorry to be long winded Des, but I didn’t mean to say I believe in corruption, deception and immorality, I meant to say in believing there WAS AND IS, and was when it came to the dealings of ALL those involved…
• Mr North Jersey January 7, 2012 at 11:36 am

  I don’t know about your 5 year payroll budget projections but as far as the Re-Branding and Family Friendly/Group Events I would expect even before the name CRG was ever mentioned. It makes sense for a team trying to bring fans to the park to do this. Trading Wright this season I guess may come down to many factors one of which how ownership survives the Picard situation and another how Wright plays in 2012. I don’t expect Wright to be moved this year as you say by August 1st unless they are bowled over in a trade offer since he is under their control till 2013. Though a subpar year by Wright could also see the Mets decide to move on from him as well.
  • Joe D January 7, 2012 at 12:07 pm

    A subpar year from Wright is not something the Mets are willing to risk and nobody is going to bowl the Mets over to get Wright. His emotional connection to the fanbase is high but other teams just see a 3-year decline. Even when rumors abounded of his availability, only two teams had any interest and neither was willing to bowl the Mets over and they didn’t.
    • Mr North Jersey January 7, 2012 at 12:11 pm

      Agreed I don’t think they will be bowled over. I see him possibly gone if the Picard situation ends badly or if he is having a subpar season before August 1st. but outside of that I don’t see him traded this year.
      • Joe D January 7, 2012 at 12:17 pm

        We’ll see how it plays out MNJ, but as I’ve said on many occasions in 2011, I’m not looking to be negative by passing along my thoughts or any information I came across, and on most things I always wished I was wrong. I hope I’m wrong on Wright, the $85-%70 payroll, and all the other things, but based on everything I know I feel strongly that the the Wilpons will survive this and for the reasons I’ve been saying all along. Hey Fred, this Bud’s for you.
        • Mr North Jersey January 7, 2012 at 12:23 pm

          “I’m not looking to be negative by passing along my thoughts or any information I came across, and on most things I always wished I was wrong.”

          I understand Joe. I know your only speaking based on what you feel to be true. We all are. Like you said we will tell how things play out.
          • Mr North Jersey January 7, 2012 at 12:25 pm

            should of read “Like you said we will see how things play out.”
    • Lg January 7, 2012 at 5:24 pm

      More than 2 teams have had interest. I don’t think he was ever that readily available this yr…he was hurt when most of the rumors of him being available were out..and most in the media disputed the notion that he actually was available. I think he was only available if the mets signed Reyes. There would be a few teams interested now.. And more probably will mid year as well. I don’t think the mets rush to move him unless they get something legit
• srt January 7, 2012 at 11:50 am

  I have no doubt that some of this comes to pass but it’s a bit myopic. If this is it, it’s doomed to fail.

  When all is said and done the Wilpons will still be selling, for a handful of reasons not addressed in this post. Sometimes, it’s not always all about the money.
  • Joe D January 7, 2012 at 12:04 pm

    Doomed to fail how? They have a 95% success ratio. They do all these things, make their debt payments for 2012-2014, get some minority partner shares sold.

    That happens, what are your reasons that it’s still doomed to failure??

    What are the stumbling blocks to all of this that you believe I missed?

    What’s myopic is that someone broke a story that the Wilpons sought help in running their business as if it wasn’t already known that was happening after the holidays and that the only logical course of action there was left for the Wilpons was to pursue this course. I think that is more myopic than anything else.
    • srt January 7, 2012 at 12:15 pm

      My comment was not a knock on this company but rather the fact when all is said and done the Wilpons will not retain a hold on this team to pass down to their future generations.
      • Joe D January 7, 2012 at 12:21 pm

        I hope you’re right. I also hope that people don’t think I’m trying to shill for the Wilpons, I’m not. I want them to be gone. But it was Fred who lobbied hard against the owners who opposed Selig as commissioner and now it’s time for Bud to pay Fred back. I’m fortunate enough to have a relative that works in the commissioners office and the things he tells me sometimes just blows me away.
        • srt January 7, 2012 at 12:31 pm

          No, don’t take it wrong. I wasn’t remotely implying that. I got the impression you were reporting on facts as they stand right now.

          My opinion is such that I see this whole situation as a moving target and what looks good on paper right now isn’t going to be reality or what actually goes down in the next couple of years.
        • Heybatter January 7, 2012 at 3:18 pm

          I tHink you may have gotten your relative canned. Bloodlines are not hard to trace.
        • theonlymaskman January 8, 2012 at 9:26 am

          Do you really want to say that there is a leak in the Commissioner’s office and you are on the receiving end? That just might be a less than wise admission.
    • srt January 7, 2012 at 12:25 pm

      It wasn’t known to most fans until AA first reported it on their blog. In fact reading the twitter feed that night from some of the beat writers trying to dispute it was pretty funny.

      The Wilpons had to know that little tidbit was going to break sooner or later. Maybe they should have announced it first so they could have put their own spin on it instead of being in the position of having to dispute much of the speculation concerning bankruptcy and the like that had already been put out there.
• Joey D. January 7, 2012 at 11:50 am

  CRG accesses financial situations and tries to develop long-term solutions to reverse losses and negative trends. But CRG is NOT in the business of running a baseball operation and what is being overlooked is that a team can’t make money without revenue from it’s fan base. What they will be looking to accomplish in terms of dollars and cents would not be salvaging the Mets as a competitive baseball club but dismantling whatever semblance of a good team they have left without any long-term plans to put them back on top. The minor leagues is essential but it is not the whole picture. Get rid of high costing players even if they produce (like was the case with KRod and Beltran)? Hold onto young players and then get rid of them come arbitration time like Oakland?

  M. Donald Grant was of the same dollars and sense mold with little concept of the ins and outs of baseball and look where that got us. CRG’s experience with the Rangers was to help the previous owners file for bankruptcy. The Wilpons are in debt and in over their heads. I don’t see a rosy picture coming out of this until the team is sold for the current ownership can only take it down with them. A consulting firm might be able to restructure their debt payment but they can’t take away that debt and resolve decreased revenue.
  • srt January 7, 2012 at 12:36 pm

    For the most part……Bingo.

    This is the NY Mets, as in New York. The business model described here might keep Sterling Mets at the break even line….might. Somehow, I don’t think that’s the legacy Fred has in mind when he talked about preserving it for future family generations.
• kevin January 7, 2012 at 1:11 pm

  Seriously this sucks. Why is MLB allowing this to happen? They should force the Wilpons to sell. This is the top baseball market and we are a laughing stock!
  • any January 7, 2012 at 11:51 pm

    MLB can’t just arbitrarily take away a team from it’s owners just because they are going through a rough patch. The other owners would never allow that kind of power. If they can figure out how to meet their obligations, they continue to hold on. Unless they start defaulting or missing payroll (or do some egregious raiding of the piggy bank like in LA), they are not going to be taken over.
• siggy January 7, 2012 at 1:36 pm

  This would be great if we were in Buffalo, or another Triple A Affiliate.
  This is a major market. Cant see MLB letting it get to this, but they have.
  METFAN LOU said it best. Put them in division with Royals.

  I wouldn’t go to Peter Lugers and expect a Big Mac, so why do the Wilpons think any of us will pay for crap. Supply and Demand, will take my peso, lire, dollar elsewhere.

  Until the Wilpons are gone. Goodbye Wright, it was fun while it lasted.
• Lg January 7, 2012 at 5:17 pm

  That’s a miserable plan. MLB might force them to sell if this is the plan….especially since freds boy Selig might retire soon. 60 mil payroll?
• Rich from Lake Como January 8, 2012 at 12:19 am

  Mets Bake Sale in the Rotunda… Opening Day. BE THERE!
• Knobowitzki January 8, 2012 at 1:53 am

  60 Million dollars that is ludicrous, please back that up.
• theonlymaskman January 8, 2012 at 9:53 am

  Sorry, but I don’t buy into this scenario. The Mets are far from 95% of the way home to a solution. The fact is that CRG is all about determining whether the Wilpons have a prayer at avoiding bankruptcy. Fred, the genius entrpeneurial businessman, is capable of understanding his own balance sheet and the realities of the income statement and its implication for cash flow and the health of the business. He does not need CRG to sort this out for him. CRG is here because the Wilpons have already done that assessment and are in dire straits. CRG is commissioned to determine whether there is a path out or whether bankruptcy is the only possible outcome. The debt burden is excessive and can only be serviced with a huge improvement in cash flow. There is only so much expense that can be reduced. Dump Wright, lease the DR facility, share Digital Domain Stadium, eliminate another minor league team, etc, etc. None of that generates enough green ink to service the debt load adequately. Cost reduction must be enhanced with increased revenue. That is where the rubber hits the road. You can polish the image and put lipstick on the pig, but a cellar team is still a cellar team and poor prospects for a team without a focus star leaves empty seats and a lot of them. Without turnstiles spinning, the revenue plan stays deficient. In the end, the cost reduction efforts are self-defeating, because they result in a non-competitve team that does not draw attendance. You can have all the promotions you want, but when all is said and done, a poor product on the field leaves empty seats. A one-day event like an All-Star game or a concert is not going to change the bottom line to any meaningful extent. CGR will perform their analysis and draw the conclusion that bankruptcy is the only way out. They will calculate the potential sale price of the Mets and determine whether the Wilpons will be underwater on their debt once the Mets are gone from their umbrella. The alternatives will be either to sell the team and, if the Wilpons then remain underwater on debt, to enter bankruptcy. The bottom line of this analysis should be forthcoming within the next 6 months. At that time we will learn of the planned disposition of the team. It will be either a sale or bankruptcy. My guess is the odds will be 2 to 1 in favor of bankruptcy because the franchise, in it is current condition, is valued too low to offer a meaningful sale alternative.

  The new owners are inevitable and will be here before the 2013 season. That’s my view of the sad state of affairs.
  • gary s. January 8, 2012 at 11:24 am

    Excellent.I think Joe D is way off on his 60 mill payroll prediction in a few years.The business model was a small boutique type ballpark with very expensive seating played in front of sellout crowds every nite.Just one more complete failure of our thieving owners
    • theonlymaskman January 8, 2012 at 11:05 pm

      Yes, you hit another nail on the head. Citifield was a huge gamble and wound up being a boondoggle with its flawed business plan. The reduction in capacity to reduce ticket supply for the objective of increased ticket pricing backfired badly. The forgotten component was the need to put a good team on the field. The poor plan was compounded by the stadium design with a high % of seating in the outfield with restricted views. The traditional “bleacher seat discount” was forgotten in the drive for exotic ticket pricing. Building a “pitcher’s park” without a strong pitching staff was part of the flawed startegy. The loyal Shea Stadium Upper Deck crowd was tossed overboard. Citi was intended to appeal to the elitist element that would be awed by the aura of the new park and ignorant of the baseball. Unfortunately, the business is baseball and when you forget that, you become superfluous. As the novelty of Citi wears down and the fans become disenchanted with the baseball experience there, attendance sags lower and with it the fate of the current ownership becomes increasingly bleak. How will CRG fix that problem?
  • Steve S. January 8, 2012 at 3:56 pm

    Generally agree. The Wilponzis will be gone—though perhaps not before next season. Many fans will boycott (although some will accept any crappy product put on the field). The debt will choke the owners, and hopefully the bankers will force a sale of the team (even if Buddy Boy won’t). I’m thinking that even next year the attendance will be down to about 20,000 per game (under 1.7 million). And if and when Wright is traded away, it will really go down.

    And don’t hold your breath about a bunch of people paying $20 million each to have Mr. Met share a burger with them….
    • theonlymaskman January 8, 2012 at 11:11 pm

      As you point out the search for partners at $20 M a pop is doomed to failure. Anyone with $20 M to invest is no fool and they will thoroughly investigate what they will be getting into. With the issues confronting the Wilpons, the state of the Mets, and the problematic state of Citifield, you would have to be crazy to get involved with this. We’ll know the outcome of this within the next 3 weeks. When that fails, will S&P come knocking on the door with another downgrade in hand?
• theonlymaskman January 8, 2012 at 10:03 am

  Another way to look at this is to realize that Omar, however dumb he was and however many mistakes he made, new better than these guys how to keep the ship of state afloat. He knew there was a need to keep stars on the team and to have a constant flow of new ones on a yearly basis to replace the ones that went into decline. He did his best to keep new stars arriving to maintan fan interest and protect the gate. That is the only way to stay afloat in the NY market. A small market approach simply does not fly here and the current strategy is doomed to failure. This enterprise needs more revenue, but is on a path to generate less. The Wilpons went down the path of a smaller park with higher ticket prices and a reduced quality of product on the field. That was a formula for disaster and they are reaping the whirlwind now. Time is of the essence with daily red ink compounding the excessive levels of debt. The inevitable is staring them in the face. CRG is just the instrument to start the process of ending it all. We are rapidly approaching the end days of the Wilpons – Mets relationship.
  • K Maxx January 8, 2012 at 12:11 pm

    I agree on Omar. He understood how to fill the park even if injuries and a couple of bad contracts undermined him in the end. At least he understood what star power meant in the NY market. This GM does not.
• Luis Ramirez January 8, 2012 at 11:49 am

  All these actions are necessary to fix woeful financial problems. That being said, it is obviously not a situation fans like or understand, which is non sequitur. All in all, things being the way they are, I’m kind of excited to see how these young Mets evolve, more so than after all those needless FA signings of recent history.
• wasadeyo January 8, 2012 at 12:00 pm

  I tend to agree with your analysis Maskman
  • theonlymaskman January 8, 2012 at 11:14 pm

    Thanks Wasadeyo.
• Donal January 8, 2012 at 12:06 pm

  “The Mets are already in the process of subleasing parts of their Baseball Academy in the Dominican Republic to other MLB teams according to one report on ESPN last month.”

  I remember Jorge Arangure tweeted about that, but he was just offering his own speculation that it could be considered, not that they were doing it. I haven’t seen any reports that they are in fact doing that.

  Does the report say how many or what teams were in on this?
• wasadeyo January 8, 2012 at 12:10 pm

  The only problem with the star players every year was that it was cart before the horse. The system was top heavy and with being “snake bitten” the house of cards fell. This Org. needs a strong farm system to at least hold things together in case of bad luck and injuries. Omar did what he was supposed to do. The Wilpons rolled the dice and lost, now it’s time to do it right no matter who owns the team.
• K Maxx January 8, 2012 at 12:14 pm

  I’m kind of glad Alderson is here because his philosophy will only lead to a few more last place seasons and no matter how much CRG saves the Mets they still need revenue and Alderson will fail to provide that. Translation = Wilpons are out.
• Joe Diaz January 8, 2012 at 12:33 pm

  Great article JoeD. All this time I thought Sabergoon Sandy just didn’t wanna compete with whatever budget he had.
• jdon January 9, 2012 at 6:49 am

  I think CRG is here because the league wanted them here. I have no evidence of this, it is just a hunch. I thought it as soon as I heard about it. It does not seem very Wilponish thing to do. They would rather swim in their own cesspool than let outsiders look inside of it. I think this might be the last resort before the league feels compelled to step in.
  • any January 9, 2012 at 7:22 am

    quite possible. The league does seem to have been pulling the strings for a while.

    so, why not make this the 1 last “prove you can stay afloat or get out” option?
• Will a Prince be Crowned in our Nation’s Capital? | Mets At Bat January 9, 2012 at 10:24 am

  [...] a very well written post for Metsmerized Online, Joe D outlines a 5 year payroll cutting plan that would decrease payroll to $60 million dollars by [...]