N.Y. Mets: Case of the Missing $20 Million Dollars Solved?

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

Here we go again.

New York Mets: When they say it's not about the money, it's usually about the money.

Remember when Jeff Wilpon informed media and fans how the Mets would be shaving $20 million dollars from this year's opening day payroll?

During that winter luncheon Mets COO Jeff Wilpon told reporters he believes the Mets are within a range in which they can effectively compete ... and that he does not believe they must rank among the top payrolls in baseball to compete for a championship.

According to Anthony DiComo at MLB.com, Jeff Wilpon said,

"I'd rather look at what we can do in terms of wins and losses.  Being top five in payroll, I don't think that won us a World Series.  So we're set out to make the playoffs and do well deep into the playoffs, and try to win the World Series - not to try and be in the top five in payroll.  If you look at what's coming back or what should be coming back that was hurt last year, that's tantamount to signing some free agents ... "

He is obviously referring to the 2006-2008 clubs rather than the 2015 Mets.  However, being among the top five in payroll was never the issue.  All fans ever asked was for the organization to operate as the National League representative of New York City should.

We're only talking three brackets here: the top ten teams; the middle ten teams; and the bottom ten teams.  The Mets ranked 12th in payroll last season qualifying them as middle bracket spenders.  It's that simple.

Anthony DiComo quotes general manager Sandy Alderson saying,

"You've just got to take another look at the facts from a slightly different perspective.  We've already spent more money than most teams this season.  We've had one of the rare big, big contracts in the last couple of seasons.  No, we're not running out and signing everybody.  But at the same time, in instances, we've stepped up and signed players and made moves in some cases where others haven't."

Sandy Alderson is obviously far more practiced in the art of pragmatic diffusion.  On the one hand, he's right insofar as acquiring and re-signing Yoenis Cespedes was indeed a genuine increase in spending.  Alderson had been doling out the same dollars just to different transient players in the years and months leading up to the 2015 trade deadline.  On the other hand, that transaction was only made possible because the Mets were able to refinance $700 in debt that same summer.

Otherwise, the Mets enter this season spending roughly $50 million more than they did in 2014, and at least equal to what they spent in 2016.

Circling back, Jeff Wilpon also said, "I understand the fan base's frustration."

I would argue he does not.  Because every time ownership says it's not about the money, it usually winds up being about the money.  Therefore the real matter at hand stems from their lack of forthrightness and transparency.

On March 23 Mike Ozanian of Forbes revealed that Citi Field posted revenue of $168 million and net income of $75 million in 2016, then last year generated revenue of $163 million and net income of $97 million - a net increase of $20 million over the previous year.

Why then would ownership be slashing $20 million?

As Mike Ozanian puts it, the $97 million net income was goosed by a $28 million credit for "Requisition of PILOT O&M credits." (Citi Field Expenses: PILOT bond payments in lieu of taxes).

There's the rub ...

That is money ownership knows they will not be realizing again this season.  And considering Citi Field attendance dipped slightly last season, they're apparently hedging themselves (Citi Field) to at least stay steady at $75 million net income.

Think not?

The Mets Opening Day payroll in 2016 was $135 million according to Baseball Prospectus.  Last season, the Mets Opening Day payroll was a club record $155 million.  Then Jeff Wilpon ordered a rollback of $20 million again.  In fact, the Mets will enter this regular season with an adjusted active Opening Day payroll of $123,082,654 million, according to Spotrac.com.

That's no coincidence (injury compensation aside).

This also explains perfectly why Jeff Wilpon reportedly nixed a deal for Cleveland second baseman Jason Kipnis, whom is still owed over $30 million through the next two seasons.  Sandy Alderson was instead forced to seek alternatives, and wound up signing Todd Frazier for half the money over the same period of time.

Baseball Reference: Complete Breakdown of 2018 NYM Salaries and Contracts

In addition to this year's salary commitments, the Mets must also continue making deferred payments to Carlos Beltran, Bret Saberhagen, and Bronx County head of tourism Bobby Bonilla.

That's right ... Bobby Bonilla is still banking Mets money ($1,193,248 million a year to be exact) and will continue collecting Wilpon's wampum until the year 2036.