Mets GM Sandy Alderson yesterday during an end-of-the-season news conference "indicated that the revenue the Mets had earned from their lengthy playoff run would help him increase the payroll" next season, according to Tim Rohan of the N.Y. TIMES. Alderson said that the Mets’ Opening Day payroll in '15 was about $103M, and he "guessed that the payroll next April would be 'somewhat higher.'" He also "expected to have room to expand the payroll" at the '16 trade deadline, as he did when he acquired LF Yoenis Cespedes on July 31. Alderson "did not rule out pursuing Cespedes," but "indicated that the Mets would be unlikely to splurge on him." The 30-year-old "is expected to seek a contract lasting perhaps six years and worth more than" $100M. Alderson said of giving lengthy contracts to players in their 30s, "That’s not something we like to do. Those contracts often don’t work out" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/5). In N.Y., John Harper writes Mets fans "had to be encouraged" by what Alderson had to say, as he "looked ahead to 2016 publicly for the first time, after officially announcing" manager Terry Collins’ two-year contract extension. Alderson "sounded like he won’t allow the Mets to go back to where they were before last season’s trading deadline, with an offense so dreadful as to largely negate all of the brilliant young starting pitching that eventually paid such dividends" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/5).
MOVIN' ON UP! SI.com's Kostya Kennedy noted the organization's short-term financial future "is brightened by the fact that it has already received 6,500 deposits for full-, half-, or quarter-season ticket plans" for '16. Kennedy: "That’s a huge number." This comes on the heels of a '15 season in which Mets attendance "shot up 18.1%, by far the biggest increase" in the NL. Mets Exec VP & CRO Lou DePaoli said that the team's season-ticket prices, which did not go up from '14 to '15, "will be raised by an average of 2.86% for next year." Some tickets "may see a higher increase, some lower." The 6,500 ticket-plan deposits, the "modest price increase and the possibility of having a competitive team" in '16 indicate that, despite falling short in the World Series, the Mets "can indeed expect more fans to come out to Citi Field next season." If the team "can convert enough of those 6,500 deposits and lure in enough single-ticket buyers to yield an additional 5,312 fans per game next season," the Mets "will draw three million fans for the first time since the ballpark's inaugural season" in '09 (SI.com, 11/4).
GIVING EVERYONE A SCARE: On Long Island, Anthony Rieber notes Alderson, shortly after finishing his remarks regarding Collins' contract extension, "suddenly collapsed." Alderson "fell to the floor while answering questions, and reporters quickly tried to grab him to slow his fall." He "was down for about 30 seconds" and "eventually walked out of the interview room under his own power." A team spokesperson said that Alderson "didn't have breakfast before the news conference and felt lightheaded" (NEWSDAY, 11/5). In N.Y., Mike Puma cites a source as saying that EMS "came in to examine Alderson, who also saw team trainers and received juice and sugar." Alderson "did not leave in the ambulance," and he was later "seen up and walking around" (N.Y. POST, 11/5).
