Sandy Alderson on 2014 Mets Payroll

Sandy Alderson is doing a lot of talking lately — first on WFAN on Monday and now to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Of interest in this latest interview is his outlook for the 2014 Mets payroll.

Alderson said he expects the payroll to be $90 million to $100 million next season. Now, let’s take this with a grain of salt because Alderson has consistently lied in the past about projected payrolls.

But if he is telling the truth this time, that means the Mets payroll will be about the same next season as it is this year. However, the Mets are paying Johan Santana and Jason Bay $44 million not to play. In Alderson’s twisted logic, that means “that is a doubling” of the payroll because the Mets current roster is making around $50 million or so.

Aside from that piece of nonsense, Alderson said the Mets already have around $55 million committed to next season– David Wright and Jonathon Niese (the only players signed for 2014), players they plan on keeping such as Bobby Parnell and Daniel Murphy, and the buyouts to Santana and Bay.

That leaves $35 million to $45 million (probably closer to the former) with which to get two or three outfielders, at least one infielder, a new bullpen again, and possibly a starter. That just won’t cut it.

At least Alderson admits it is shameful for a New York team to have such a low payroll.

“I think it is unlikely to go from $55 million to $150 million,” Alderson said. “Do I think we can get there? We would have to outperform our payroll, so we can increase attendance and increase payroll consistently over time. Overall, I agree with you (that a Met payroll should be near the highest in the league), but I think we will get on a progression toward something… It (the lowered payroll) is not because (of ownership financial problems). It is because they have been burned by the big, long contacts, so we are not prepared to go from zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds, which I can’t argue with.”

In any case, unless the young pitching is the second coming of Seaver, Koosman and Gentry, it looks like 2014 will be a repeat of 2013.