How Would Curtis Granderson Fit into 2014 Mets Payroll?

With talks between the Mets and Curtis Granderson apparently progressing, now might be a good time to see how Granderson would fit into the 2014 Mets payroll, and how much money might be left to fill the rest of the holes on the team.

Here is what the Opening Day roster could look like:

Jonathon Niese: $5,050,000 (actual)
Dillon Gee: $2,000,000 (est)
Zack Wheeler: $500,000 (est)
2 starters: $4,000,000 (est)

Bobby Parnell: $3,000,000 (est)
Josh Edgin: $500,000 (est)
Vic Black: $500,00 (est)
Scott Rice: $500,000 (est)
Jeurys Familia: $500,000 (est)
Carlos Torres: $500,000 (est)
1 reliever: $1,000,000 (est)

Travis d’Arnaud: $500,000 (est)
Anthony Recker: $500,000 (est)

Lucas Duda: $1,000,000 (est)
Daniel Murphy: $5,000,000 (est)
Ruben Tejada: $1,000,000 (est)
David Wright: $20,000,000 (actual)
Wilmer Flores: $500,000 (est)
1 backup: $500,000 (est)

Juan Lagares: $500,000 (est)
Chris Young: $7,250,000 (actual)
Matt den Dekker: $500,000 (est)
Eric Young: $2,000,000 (est)
Curtis Granderson: $15,000,000 (est)

Matt Harvey: $500,000 (est)
Johan Santana buyout: $5,500,000 (actual)
Jason Bay buyout: $3,000,000 (actual)

So the actual salaries plus buyouts (which were not figured into the 2013 numbers, so have to count towards 2014) come to $40,800,000. The estimates, including Granderson, is $40,500,000, for a grand total of $81,300,000.

As I usually do, I estimated $500,000 for all of the first and second year players. That is the major league minimum, so they will likely make a bit more than that, but not enough to drastically alter the Mets payroll projections.

Now, Sandy Alderson has said the Mets payroll will not be less than last year’s, and somehow he came up with the figure of $87 million. So it is safe to assume the 2014 Mets payroll will be $87 million.

That leaves around $6 million to upgrade the rest of the team. I budgeted $4 million for the two new starters, so theoretically the Mets could spend a couple of million more on each one. But it means they could not afford to sign someone like Bronson Arroyo, who will likely command upwards of $12 million per season.

If the Mets sign Granderson, they will almost surely trade Ike Davis because he will probably make around $4 million in arbitration as compared to Lucas Duda’s $1 million or so. And get ready to see Ruben Tejada at shortstop yet again.

Signing Granderson would be a good thing, but it would eat up most of the remaining budget, meaning the massive changes most Mets fans want to see will not happen. However, it is good to know that after years of severe austerity, the Mets can finally afford at least one big-ticket item this off-season.