Do the Mets Actually Need to Win This Year for the Wilpons?

Mets PoliceJan 18, 2009

Manny Ramirez. He's still out there.

I keep reading that the Mets want to keep the payroll down to under $140 million.

According to the Ledger the payroll is at $116 million.

They want Ollie to take $10 million. That gets you to $126 million. (Or the same $10 million for Pettitte/Sheets/Whoever.)

Manny Ramirez declined two years and $45 million from Los Angeles. Let's bring that up to $25 million. Yes, that's obscene. Yes, Manny is a jerk. Yes I have sold my soul.

$126 plus $25 is $151. The Mets would be $11 or $12 million over the artificial cap. With no facts and just a gut feeling, I imagine there's $11 or $12 million worth of TV ratings, jersey sales, and hot dogs that Manny would bring to Taxpayer Field.

So I wonder what this is all about—and I think it's the same thing that it is always about, whether you are the Mets or the Marlins. Not just make money, but make as much money as you can.

The Mets have the fanbase believing that the team could win. So we'll buy $4 million tickets or whatever Taxpayer Field holds. It's a new stadium and a good enough team, so we'll take the bait and show up.

Maybe the Wilpons have run some numbers and found that it's a better business if they finish second and play before 3.7 million fans. Then next winter they can splash one free agent and fool us again.

Over time this will diminish (see Baltimore) and they'll have to go all in and bring in a whole bunch of free agents (see the great Eddie Murray and Willie Randolph teams of the 1990s).

So Fred, I ask you, do you actually want to win, or would you be just as happy being the Marlins? You know what, I take that back, at least the Marlins have two rings since 1987.

As for the image in this article, check this out.