As we reported yesterday, the Mets have announced that no tickets will go up in price next season for Citi Field, and that they will reduce season-ticket prices by 10 to 20 percent. They will also be reducing the number of gold level ticket games which put a premium on desirable matchups.

That’s a fitting gesture and a good first step toward healing the rift between the Mets and their fan base.

However, lost in the whole “Ticket Prices Slashed” news, was something else that got very little attention.

In an e-mail to Mets ticket plan holders, the New York Mets wrote the following:

“Everyone at the Mets – our Ownership, GM Omar Minaya, Manager Jerry Manuel, the coaches, players, front office and staff – shares your disappointment with the 2009 season.  You soon will hear from Ownership and Omar about how we plan to improve the ball club through a combination of player signings, trades, enhanced player development and continued commitment to one of the highest player payrolls in MLB.”

Let me repeat those key words…

We plan to improve the ball club through a combination of player signings, trades, enhanced player development and continued commitment to one of the highest player payrolls in MLB.

Could it be that all the beat writers, sports analysts and major sports media markets have got it all wrong?

All we’ve been hearing was how the Mets were not going to spend any money because of the Madoff scandal, and many reported that the Mets would lower payroll by as much as $20-$30 million dollars.

Now I’m no mind reader or mystic, but judging by that statement from the Mets, it would seem that the Mets fully intend to do everything in their power to do whatever is necessary to put the Mets back into the post season in 2010.

Only time will tell just how committed to that vision they really are, but give the Mets credit for saying it and letting us know that they are as disappointed as the rest of us.

If they are truly reducing ticket prices by as much as 20%, and at the same time committing themselves to one of the highest payrolls in baseball, maybe all those Madoff ramblings were wrong. Maybe when the Wilpons repeatedly said that the scandal would have no bearing on the day to day management of the team, they were actually speaking the truth.

As fans of the Mets, maybe we should give them the benefit of the doubt at least on this particular matter. We’ve heard the Mets blow smoke before, but I have a hunch that maybe they will prove all those hundreds of Madoff stories wrong and show that they can still spend with the best of them.

Now if only they could focus on getting some value for their millions.

No more Oliver Perez signings where they go and bid against themselves.

No more fat contracts for players past their prime.

No more rolling the dice on injured players or those coming off of a recent surgery.

Lets get our act together and not show up at the winter meetings with the goal of signing a headline act.

What we need more than anything else is some solid complimentary players and a top of the rotation starter to pair with Johan Santana.

Let’s not try to win the World Series with one trade that looks good up front, but ends up hurting the team and our development system in the long run.

We need to employ a common sense approach, and though we have the resources of a big market team, there is nothing wrong with taking a small market team approach when it comes to team building.

It’s not always how much you spend, but how much value you get.