If losing 4 of 6 to division rivals didn't get you.
If several key Mets slumping didn't get you.
If the season falling from reach didn't get you.
Well, Adam Rubin has you covered. Rubin isn't trying to depress us, but only warn us about getting our hopes up for the next offseason. It looks like the Mets will get the worst from both worlds. The problem with a team of homegrown talent is that it isn't the best talent, but comes at a fantastic price. The problem that comes along with a high talent team, is that it comes with a really big price. Next season the Mets are looking at a mostly homegrown team (which is exciting in its own right) but the bad investments over the last few years creep up and now the Mets are saddled witha huge payroll, so they can't improve that home grown team.
Essentially, Rubin finds that between Santana, Beltran, Bay, Wright, Perez, Krod, Reyes, Castillo and Iggy, the team is already committed to about 114 million. Then if the other 16 players were at the leag mininum, then that makes a total of 120 million. Then you have to figure we want to sign Reyes to an extension, and want to keep Feliciano and and the end of the day there is very little money to work with.
Trading Perez, Castillo and Beltran will probably not soften the financial crunch on the team, because to move them, the Mets will need to keep the money. In other words, the best way to improve this team will be to trade for prospects and players to make an impact, and in doing these trades, add a more managable amount to the payroll.
It is worth noting that things should get a little better after 2011 with a few players coming off the payroll…hopefully.
