Checking on 2014 Mets Payroll

I wasn’t expecting to do this until later in the off-season, but with Wednesday’s apparent signing of Bartolo Colon to a two-year, $20 million contract, let’s take a look at how the 2014 Mets payroll is looking:

Bartolo Colon: $10,000,000 (actual)
Jonathon Niese: $5,050,000 (actual)
Dillon Gee: $2,000,000 (est)
Zack Wheeler: $500,000 (est)
1 starter: $500,000 (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: $13,000,000 (actual)

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 come to $63,800,000. The estimated salaries are $22,000,000, for a grand total of $85,800,000.

Sandy Alderson said the Mets payroll will not be lower than last year’s fraudulent number of $87 million, so we are using that as the basis for the 2014 Mets payroll. That leaves a little more than $1 million with which to play around. Which means someone like Jenrry Mejia will be the fifth starter, Ruben Tejada will start at shortstop, and Ike Davis/Josh Satin will man first.

Now, you will notice I did not include Ike Davis and his expected $4 million salary in the tally. I think he is destined to be traded, and with the signing of Colon, he must be traded in order to stay on budget.

Daniel Murphy could also be a goner to give the Mets payroll a little more wiggle room.