The New York Mets have become a laughingstock this winter as they twiddle their thumbs while the rest of the sport works to either improve their teams or continue a rebuilding movement. This has been magnified by the resurgence of the New York Yankees, who built off of their run to the ALCS by adding Giancarlo Stanton and his massive contract to their roster. That move agitated Mets’ fans, and it even pissed off owner Fred Wilpon, as Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that the Mets’ owner became very upset after news of the Stanton trade came down.
While most owners would be upset that their team missed out an opportunity to acquire a superstar, Wilpon was upset that the Yankees made yet another big move. One baseball insider told Puma “Fred is pissed every time the Yankees make a move. And he always seems surprised.” Another point of contention for Wilpon is his disbelief that the Yankees can continue to take on big contract after big contract, which shines a bright light on the Mets’ lack of willingness to spend money. Another source described this by saying Wilpon “keeps saying the Yankees can’t keep this model up. And they keep showing that they can.”
That model has seen the Yankees make the playoffs 13 times since 2001, including four pennants and a World Series victory in 2009. The Mets and their restrained spending habits have made the playoffs three times in that span, winning one pennant and no titles. It’s not hard to figure out which team is printing money and which is breaking open piggy banks to scrounge for spare change.
Mets’ ownership has come under fire for their lack of commitment to winning, and it is hard to argue that point. Wilpon would rather whine about the Yankees’ ability to spend money and how its bad for the sport instead of putting together a team worthy of competing with them. No sane Mets’ fan would have expected the team to take on Giancarlo Stanton’s contract, but simply adding proven big league talent to fill the Mets’ many holes would suffice. The messages that the fans are receiving indicate that a $4 million deal for Matt Adams is too much, let alone trading for an established second baseman like Jason Kipnis or signing an elite reliever like Wade Davis or Addison Reed.
Simply put, Mets’ fans don’t care that Wilpon is upset about how much money the Yankees spend. All they want is for their team to care about winning, which they clearly don’t right now. The fact that Wilpon’s real estate company is a prime partner in the New York Islanders’ new arena in Belmont while the Mets can’t afford Logan Morrison is an embarrassment and a slap in the face to a very loyal fan base. The Yankees aren’t going to stop spending money because they’re hurting Fred Wilpon’s feelings. Wilpon either needs to open up his checkbook to let Sandy Alderson put a competitive team on the field or sell the franchise to someone who can. There is no reason a New York franchise should be in the bottom half of the league in payroll, and the fact that it is constantly happening under Wilpon’s watch is a disgrace.
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