When is a story not a story? I found myself asking that question when I read a recent article on Deadspin that bashes the current state of the Wilpons’ real estate business and Fred Wilpon’s handling of it, citing they’ve lost millions.
The article also suggest that the recent signing of Yoenis Cespedes was not necessarily a sign that the Wilpons were ready to spend on the team again, but they got lucky that Cespedes was willing to essentially sign a one-year deal to chase a bigger deal next offseason.
For the relatively uninformed Fred Wilpon made his money in the New York City real estate market. He is seen as a shrewd investor and a respected member of the industry. Say what you will about Fred Wilpon and his running of the Mets, but up until this article, his real estate acumen has never come into question.
Normally, I think Deadspin’s article would have been very important and enlightening. As we’ve seen from Howard Megdal’s reporting, the Mets other business interests have affected their ability and willingness to put the most competitive Mets team on the field as possible. However, with the Yoenis Cespedes signing, and the payroll now hovering around $140 million, I’m not sure that Mets payroll is a story anymore, at least not with respect to the 2016 season.
While we can quibble with any particular move, it’s hard to attack the Mets owners for this roster as a whole. They have arguably the best pitching staff in baseball. Of the eight everyday position players, five are former All Stars while the other three could reasonably be All Stars within the next year or so. The bullpen has many pitchers who can handle both righties and lefties well, and it is headlined by a dominant closer. This is a top-down well constructed team that is built to win.
So yes, the Deadspin report is very newsworthy. However, at least with respect to the 2016 season it’s not really a baseball story. It’s not a reason for any snarky comments. The Mets have spent the money, and they have an impressive and competitive roster that is set to make another run towards winning the World Series.
