It seems as though the Mets’ payroll for the '14 season "is not going to exceed" $90M, which, if so, "would place them in the bottom third of baseball or less than half as much as the Yankees," according to Bill Madden of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. The signing of CF Curtis Granderson to a four-year, $60M deal "on paper ... represents a major upgrade." However, it is "unsettling" to hear Mets GM Sandy Alderson "talk about needing to trim payroll." There are a few "options out there on the free agent market for the Mets who can be had for short-term deals that may stretch the budget for 2014 but not choke them in the years to come" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/11). In Newark, Jorge Castillo writes the Mets' signing of Granderson "in a vacuum ... signals the club’s intentions to aggressively improve the roster for the 2014 season, the front office’s stated target to return to postseason contention." But those expectations "were tempered just a few minutes after Granderson's unveiling." The Mets have around $15M "to work with and Alderson has admitted this week that the Mets will not hand out another contract like Granderson’s unless they shed salary" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 12/11).
SHOW ME THE MONEY: In N.Y., Joel Sherman notes the Mets "say they are not done," but are "hinting at being done on relevant moves." If the Granderson signing "really is it ... then this will be a breach with the fan base." The Mets' "promise was stick with us, we have a big vision: Restock the farm, regain financial equilibrium and then step on the gas pedal to relevance and contention." Sherman: "Heading toward another $85 million-ish payroll is -- quite frankly -- not honoring the commitment" (N.Y. POST, 12/11). In New Jersey, Bob Klapisch writes it is "inconceivable" that a major-market team, with a relatively new stadium and its own RSN estimated to be worth $2B billion "could only pay its players" $85M. It is "not just inconceivable, it’s unacceptable." Alderson once again "is being forced to build the Mets on the cheap" (Bergen RECORD, 12/11).
