Latest Check on 2014 Mets Payroll

With the Mets settling with almost all of their arbitration-eligible players, let’s take a look on where the Mets payroll stands:

Bartolo Colon: $9,000,000 (actual)
Jonathon Niese: $5,050,000 (actual)
Dillon Gee: $3,625,000 (actual)
Zack Wheeler: $500,000 (est)
1 starter: $500,000 (est)

Bobby Parnell: $3,700,000 (actual)
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: $500,000 (est)

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

Ike Davis: $3,500,000 (actual)
Lucas Duda: $1,500,000 (est)
Daniel Murphy: $5,700,000 (actual)
Ruben Tejada: $1,100,000 (actual)
David Wright: $20,000,000 (actual)
Wilmer Flores: $500,000 (est)

Curtis Granderson: $13,000,000 (actual)
Chris Young: $7,250,000 (actual)
Juan Lagares: $500,000 (est)
Eric Young: $1,850,000 (actual)
Matt den Dekker: $500,000 (est)

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

So the total of actual salaries so far comes to $82,275,000. I continue to include the Santana and Bay buyouts because there is no way they were included in last year’s payroll, especially if Sandy Alderson insists on sticking to the fraudulent 2013 number of $87 million.

Duda’s estimate is rounded to about the halfway point between what he is asking and what the Mets are offering. So adding that $1.5 million to the other $7 million in estimates, that comes to $8.5 million, for a grand total of $90,775,000.

This is the highest estimate I have had all off-season, primarily because Ike Davis is included in the tally. I thought for sure he would be traded, but now that may not happen. Take away his $3.5 million and the total would be $87,275,000. Alderson said the payroll would not be less than last season’s alleged $87 million, so I predict he is still working on trading Davis so he can get as close to the minimum Mets payroll as possible.