Joel Sherman of the New York Post says that the Mets remain confident they can retain David Wright beyond 2013. Where have we heard that before?

Sherman cites a a more secure financial outlook as why he sees the Mets offering Wright an extension  that will keep their all star third baseman from bolting for free agency.

That’s great and all, but he kind of deflates his own argument when he writes this:

Wright’s return to elite status this year means the Mets have to expect to pay well north of the six-year, $100 million extension Washington gave to Ryan Zimmerman in February, when the third baseman still had two years at $26 million remaining on his previous deal.

Tell me your kidding, Joel?

Anyone who thinks this front office is going to pay David Wright more than “Zimmerman Money” are drinking way too much of the Mets Koolaid.

Let me tell you EXACTLY what’s happening here…

Today is July 29th and there is still one-third of the season to be played. The goal here is to start flooding the airwaves with popcorn and cotton candy just like they did when Reyes was here. They need to keep as many fannies in the seats as they possibly can for the rest of this season.

I mean just two weeks ago Sandy Alderson boasted he had money to spend and that he was a buyer, only to stand idly by while he watched his team lose their closer and two-fifths of their rotation without so much as one move to remedy that situation. His wait and see approach, which I warned would be his tactic, certainly aided this current Mets slide.

Since the All Star break, Jason Bay’s presence in that dugout has not led to the desired results and every time Terry Collins, who gets his marching orders from Colonel Klink, says “we need Jason’s bat in the lineup”, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The Mets financial situation is significantly better and the money is there to spend, but remember who we have at the helm. Alderson’s whole purpose for being here was too slash payroll and make the Mets a $75 million dollar team. He’s almost there.

Many of you thought I was sniffing glue when I first mentioned that $75 million payroll goal back in 2010 around the Winter Meetings, but I’ve picked up thousands of believers since then. Alderson doesn’t have the intention of signing Wright or any player to a six-figure deal – forget about it – get that into your brains. This will not be “Moneyball with money”, as Paul DePodesta exhorted after he was brought on board.

He may be banking on the fact that Wright will simply give the team a $30-40 million dollar hometown discount. That’s not happening either, David Wright is not the fool the front office is hoping he is.

Wright’s a smart kid with plenty of great seasons still ahead of him and comments he’s made all season long point to a departure from the team and not continuing a fruitless longterm relationship with them. “Winning a World Series is what will determine where I ultimately go when I sign my next contract.”

The other thing to remember is that most players who play in a team option year, rarely forego free agency after making it that far.

The reason Zimmermen and Tulo signed extensions with their teams is because their teams got those deals done at least two years before they had to and not at the last minute. That’s how most teams treat their star players.

By this time in 2014, we might be saying David who?