Mets GM Sandy Alderson "made his first public appearance Thursday afternoon since announcing he was being treated for cancer," and he "defended the Mets’ winter, striking back at the notion the club is not spending enough to reinforce a World Series team built on young, superlative starting pitching," according to Anthony McCarron of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. Alderson said, "The idea that we’re not investing in the team is really misplaced and sort of tied up in the populism involving [free agent LF Yoenis] Cespedes." Alderson said that the Mets had a payroll of $85-86M "at the end" of the '14 season. He added, "I would suspect this year it’ll end up at $115 or so, maybe higher than that -- $120. That’s a $35 million increase in just two years." McCarron notes the Mets this offseason have added 2B Neil Walker via trade and signed free agents such as SS Asdrubal Cabrera and LF Alejandro De Aza. Alderson: "It’s not as if we’re not looking to improve the team and, if possible, in significant ways. But it has to make some sense in terms of how these pieces all fit." Meanwhile, he added that the Mets "probably would not initially hire an external replacement" for former VP/Player Development & Scouting Paul DePodesta, who left for a position with the Browns. Alderson also is "not worried about any potential brain drain in the wake of DePodesta’s departure" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/8). Alderson: "I don’t expect one person to take up the void that he creates. We will allocate his responsibilities [to] ... two people who are strong in various aspects" (N.Y. POST, 1/8). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Jared Diamond writes Alderson "looked and sounded like his old self," cracking jokes "at his own expense." Alderson said that he "has been working mostly regular hours." He added, "Everything's been fine to this point" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/8).
