Alderson discusses hot stove

[dunbummin]

Alderson also said while they have a little more payroll flexibility than he originally projected, although it’s unrealistic for the payroll to escalate towards the levels of prior years.

I read in one of the Mets blogs that before the deal with Bay, the Mets had about $11.5 million to spend this winter. It is not yet known what the deferral of Bay's money means, but if it frees up an additional $5 million, and trading Dickey would free another $5 million, they'd have over $20 million to spend on trade acquisitions and FAs. That could set up some pretty good scenarios this off season, like . .

Trade for Justin Upton ($9.75 million)
Sign Melky Cabrera ($3.5 million plus incentives)
Sign Juan Pierre ($1.75 million)
Resign Scott Hairston (2 years/$6 million - $2.5 million in 2013)
Trade for a pre-arb eligible catcher - Flowers? ($.5 mil)
Sign Japanese FA closer Kyuji Fujikawa (2 years/$8 million - $3 mil in 2013)

Lineup:
Cabrera - CF (Pierre as backup)
Murphy - 2B
Wright - 3B
Davis - 1B
Upton - RF
Duda/Hairston - LF (Nieuwenhuis if Duda flops)
Flowers - C (or other similar)
Tejada - SS

Rotation:
Santana (replaced by Wheeler in July)
Niese
Harvey
Pelfrey (non tendered and resigned at lower salary)
Gee

Could be a 90 win team.

[YoungStuna]

No they didn't have that much to spend.

[SILVER SEAVER]

Was Sandy in politics before he got into baseball because it just seems like the same old answers without actually giving a direct answer to the question. When he talks like that it basically means guys will be moved. The age thing in Dickey's case is pretty much saying he's too old to give even three years to because in our opinion he reached his ceiling in 2012. So bye bye R.A. and regarding Wright it will be pretty much thanks for your off the field work, being a model citizen and the contributions on the field for this franchise but we're moving on in a different direction. I wish they would just be blunt and say we are going a different way and Wright and R.A. are not in our plans and be done with it instead of this nonsense they will drag on for an entire winter and into the spring. Being onest with the fanbase might not make all of us happy but most of us would have respect for you if you just tell us your intentions upfront instead of these parlour games they play with us for months.

[dunbummin]

No they didn't have that much to spend.

Interesting. According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, who usually has pretty reliable numbers, they say the Mets have $74.175 million committed for 2013 (compared to the 2012 payroll of $94,508,822) They have the team owing Bay $3 million for 2013, which means that they probably have deferred the remaining $18 million of his contract into future years. (a la Bobby Bonilla - RIP) Here's the link.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?...MQ&output=html

If their numbers are true, trading Dickey would deduct another $5 million, bringing their 2013 committment to $69.175 million, and leaving a gap of over $25 million to work with this off season. I'm not getting my hopes up, but wouldn't it be nice if this is true?

[YoungStuna]

Interesting. According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, who usually has pretty reliable numbers, they say the Mets have $74.175 million committed for 2013 (compared to the 2012 payroll of $94,508,822) They have the team owing Bay $3 million for 2013, which means that they probably have deferred the remaining $19 million of his contract into future years. (a la Bobby Bonilla - RIP) Here's the link.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?...MQ&output=html

If their numbers are true, trading Dickey would deduct another $5 million, bringing their 2013 committment to $69.175 million, and leaving a gap of over $25 million to work with this off season. I'm not getting my hopes up, but wouldn't it be nice if this is true?

It doesn't include arbitration numbers. This is what I wrote 2 weeks ago:

I'm doing the math, and right now Santana, Wright, Dickey, Bay, Niese, Francisco, Murphy, Ike, Thole, and Parnell will make about $91MM combined next season. That's 10 players.

Now Harvey, Gee, Baxter, Turner, Valdespin, Duda, Tejada, Edgin, Kirk, and Carson will make about $500k each, and those are 10 players. So all together that is $96MM with 5 spots open on the roster.

Now that they probably saved $3-6M or so of payroll for 2013 from cutting Bay, that gives roughly $5-10M to spend on free agents, which isn't much.

[Toon88]

I read in one of the Mets blogs that before the deal with Bay, the Mets had about $11.5 million to spend this winter. It is not yet known what the deferral of Bay's money means, but if it frees up an additional $5 million, and trading Dickey would free another $5 million, they'd have over $20 million to spend on trade acquisitions and FAs. That could set up some pretty good scenarios this off season, like . .

Trade for Justin Upton ($9.75 million)
Sign Melky Cabrera ($3.5 million plus incentives)
Sign Juan Pierre ($1.75 million)
Resign Scott Hairston (2 years/$6 million - $2.5 million in 2013)
Trade for a pre-arb eligible catcher - Flowers? ($.5 mil)
Sign Japanese FA closer Kyuji Fujikawa (2 years/$8 million - $3 mil in 2013)

Lineup:
Cabrera - CF (Pierre as backup)
Murphy - 2B
Wright - 3B
Davis - 1B
Upton - RF
Duda/Hairston - LF (Nieuwenhuis if Duda flops)
Flowers - C (or other similar)
Tejada - SS

Rotation:
Santana (replaced by Wheeler in July)
Niese
Harvey
Pelfrey (non tendered and resigned at lower salary)
Gee

Could be a 90 win team.

To Pelfrey the guy is a bum and now coming off a major injury. Its time to let him go another 1st round bust. The rest seems reasonable but I just remembered who our GM and owners are. Unless these guys are coming to the Mets for 3 cents on the dollar I don't see it. So look for Michael Suanders and Mark Reynolds type signings. You know guys not even hitting their weight.

[YoungStuna]

Mike Pelfrey is not a bust. A bust would be Luke Hochevar, or some guy you never heard of because they never made the majors.

[metsbulls1025]

Was Sandy in politics before he got into baseball because it just seems like the same old answers without actually giving a direct answer to the question. When he talks like that it basically means guys will be moved. The age thing in Dickey's case is pretty much saying he's too old to give even three years to because in our opinion he reached his ceiling in 2012. So bye bye R.A. and regarding Wright it will be pretty much thanks for your off the field work, being a model citizen and the contributions on the field for this franchise but we're moving on in a different direction. I wish they would just be blunt and say we are going a different way and Wright and R.A. are not in our plans and be done with it instead of this nonsense they will drag on for an entire winter and into the spring. Being onest with the fanbase might not make all of us happy but most of us would have respect for you if you just tell us your intentions upfront instead of these parlour games they play with us for months.

He talks like every other GM does to the media.

[Paulie6986]

Was Sandy in politics before he got into baseball because it just seems like the same old answers without actually giving a direct answer to the question. When he talks like that it basically means guys will be moved. The age thing in Dickey's case is pretty much saying he's too old to give even three years to because in our opinion he reached his ceiling in 2012. So bye bye R.A. and regarding Wright it will be pretty much thanks for your off the field work, being a model citizen and the contributions on the field for this franchise but we're moving on in a different direction. I wish they would just be blunt and say we are going a different way and Wright and R.A. are not in our plans and be done with it instead of this nonsense they will drag on for an entire winter and into the spring. Being onest with the fanbase might not make all of us happy but most of us would have respect for you if you just tell us your intentions upfront instead of these parlour games they play with us for months.

Right on SS. As usual, we agree on most issues.

Sadly, I don't trust SA either. He sounds very much like a politician. Me no trust politicians.

Either way, whatever moves are made we're in for another jolly season.....

[SILVER SEAVER]

He talks like every other GM does to the media.

So 29 other GM's don't give one direct answer to a question ever? That seems a little hard to believe. GM's of well run organizations don't have to hide what the true intentions of the franchise he works for are. If you have no plans on signing Wright or R.A. sort of like they did with Reyes just say that instead of falsely misleading your entire fanbase. You and I disagree on a ton of crap but the one thing I believe we can agree on was that the Mets had zero intent on bringing back Reyes unless it was for maybe three seasons with possibly a team option for a fourth, maybe. They are just jerking Wright around at this point and I can bet dollars to donuts that Wright ain't fooled and has had enough of the Wilpons running this once proud franchise into thethe ground. R.A. won't be moved till he wins the CY Young so they can ask more for him. So come spring if these other rumors about Niese have any validity the Mets could possibly be starting the spring without three of their best players from 2012.

[Marty Mcfly]

Was Sandy in politics before he got into baseball because it just seems like the same old answers without actually giving a direct answer to the question. When he talks like that it basically means guys will be moved. The age thing in Dickey's case is pretty much saying he's too old to give even three years to because in our opinion he reached his ceiling in 2012. So bye bye R.A. and regarding Wright it will be pretty much thanks for your off the field work, being a model citizen and the contributions on the field for this franchise but we're moving on in a different direction. I wish they would just be blunt and say we are going a different way and Wright and R.A. are not in our plans and be done with it instead of this nonsense they will drag on for an entire winter and into the spring. Being onest with the fanbase might not make all of us happy but most of us would have respect for you if you just tell us your intentions upfront instead of these parlour games they play with us for months.

Pretty much nailed it, when Spindy starts crying about too many years you know it's over.

As with Jose they never had any intention of bringing back RA Dickey.

If they don't want to do something they will find an excuse, they always do.

[oscarc]

Beyond the talk - actually BS - can someone recall anything positive about Alderson's tenure? Right now, the negatives overwhelm the positives. Just examine his record. Remember, folks, it bears repeating, he got absolutely nothing for Reyes. That takes a certain kind of talent.

Recall also, that I believe the success in Oakland had more to do with Billy Beane.

And now, despite the example shown by the Giants - pitching, defense, timely hitting - the Mets insist that their numbers show that power and questionable defense is the answer. i guess the Yankees showed how that model works.

You have to love people like this. They will not let these inconvenient facts get in the way of their vision.

This is sad because baseball is a great game; CitiField is quite nice; it is great to listen to Keith, Ron and Gary (they are the best); but the product on the field is a joke. Unfortunately the Mets have Sandy Alderson. Reminds me of the Peter Principle: "employees tend to rise totheir level of incompetence."

[Marty Mcfly]

Beyond the talk - actually BS - can someone recall anything positive about Alderson's tenure? Right now, the negatives overwhelm the positives. Just examine his record. Remember, folks, it bears repeating, he got absolutely nothing for Reyes. That takes a certain kind of talent.

Recall also, that I believe the success in Oakland had more to do with Billy Beane.

And now, despite the example shown by the Giants - pitching, defense, timely hitting - the Mets insist that their numbers show that power and questionable defense is the answer. i guess the Yankees showed how that model works.

You have to love people like this. They will not let these inconvenient facts get in the way of their vision.

This is sad because baseball is a great game; CitiField is quite nice; it is great to listen to Keith, Ron and Gary (they are the best); but the product on the field is a joke. Unfortunately the Mets have Sandy Alderson. Reminds me of the Peter Principle: "employees tend to rise totheir level of incompetence."

He did nothing in Oakland after the $$$$ dried up and TLR left, he upset everyone in SD too, he's a phoney in every sense.

The Mets will insist on anything that makes baseball cheaper. That's the only game in town, staying one step ahead of their creditors whilst fooling enough people with their BS as possible.

[Claymation]

Beyond the talk - actually BS - can someone recall anything positive about Alderson's tenure? Right now, the negatives overwhelm the positives. Just examine his record. Remember, folks, it bears repeating, he got absolutely nothing for Reyes. That takes a certain kind of talent.

Recall also, that I believe the success in Oakland had more to do with Billy Beane.

And now, despite the example shown by the Giants - pitching, defense, timely hitting - the Mets insist that their numbers show that power and questionable defense is the answer. i guess the Yankees showed how that model works.

You have to love people like this. They will not let these inconvenient facts get in the way of their vision.

This is sad because baseball is a great game; CitiField is quite nice; it is great to listen to Keith, Ron and Gary (they are the best); but the product on the field is a joke. Unfortunately the Mets have Sandy Alderson. Reminds me of the Peter Principle: "employees tend to rise totheir level of incompetence."

Billy Beane was still playing baseball when Oakland won their championship in '89.

They received 2 picks for losing Reyes.

The Giants were 6th in the NL in runs scored and 5th in ERA.

[dunbummin]

It doesn't include arbitration numbers. This is what I wrote 2 weeks ago:

"I'm doing the math, and right now Santana, Wright, Dickey, Bay, Niese, Francisco, Murphy, Ike, Thole, and Parnell will make about $91MM combined next season. That's 10 players.

Now Harvey, Gee, Baxter, Turner, Valdespin, Duda, Tejada, Edgin, Kirk, and Carson will make about $500k each, and those are 10 players. So all together that is $96MM with 5 spots open on the roster."

Now that they probably saved $3-6M or so of payroll for 2013 from cutting Bay, that gives roughly $5-10M to spend on free agents, which isn't much.

I get $81 million (actually $80.55) for the 10 players who are under contract or arb eligible. Santana-$25.5, Wright-$16, Dickey-$5, Bay-$16, Niese-$3.05, Francisco$6.5, Murphy-$3, Ike-$2.8, Thole-$1.2, and Parnell-$1.5. Murph, Ike, Thole and Parnell come from MLBTraderRumors Projected Arb Salaries. I'm not sure your 10 pre-arbs will all be on the team, but using your $5 million, it comes to $85.55 million.

You estimated that they saved $3-6 million on Bay, but Cot's seems to put the number at $13 million. Even using your estimates, they would have $12-15 million to spend, but if Cot's is correct they could have $20-23 million, wchich wouldn't be bad at all.