How To Blow $137,391,376Critics wonder how the Mets, with a payroll of $137,391,376, are fourth in the NL East, 6.5 games out of first.
Of course, Willie Randolph is completely inept. But an examination of where the $137,391,376 has gone clearly shows how bad of a job Omar Minaya has done.
Pedro Martinez, Moises Alou and Orlando Hernandez have spent all or almost all of the season on the DL, but their salaries come to a cool $26,313, 351.
Carlos Delgado has been a disaster, but he is making $16,000,000.
Carlos Beltran has a .261 average and four homers to show for the $18,622,809 he is making.
Luis Castillo is now a mediocre player. He makes $6,250,000 and will continue to do so through 2011.
Nearly half of the Mets payroll has been given to these six players, while another $27.5 million is going to Johan Santana and Billy Wagner.
Overall, $95 million is going to eight players.
In contrast to the Yankees' $207 million payroll, the Wilpons have kept Minaya on a budget, and Minaya has responded by cutting corners on the bench, bullpen and back end of the rotation. This, along with Minaya's having traded or given away nearly all of the Mets prospects, has resulted in the Mets having nobody to play first base in place of Delgado, no decent #5 starter (the Mets did not have money to sign Kyle Lohse or Livan Hernandez, even at relatively bargain prices). Things are so bad that despite suffering the effects of his second concussion this season, Ryan Church is forced to pinch-hit every night when he belongs on the DL.
Minaya still takes credit for acquiring John Maine and Oliver Perez. But having given away, among others, Jeff Keppinger, Ruben Gotay, Heath Bell, Royce Ring, Brian Bannister, Mike Jacobs and Matt Lindstrom, Minaya has underestimated his own talent far too often, and proven himself adept at little more than signing stars to record contracts.
The Mets are somewhat fortunate that the contracts of Martinez, Alou, Hernandez and Delgado all come off the books after this season. Right now, however, it appears that time is passing on the team constructed by Minaya over the last four years. It is questionable, at best, whether he should have a chance to lead the necessary refurbishing of the Mets.
posted on 5/27/2008
