On the Mets’ Likely Salary Commitments For 2014

It’s been reported that the Mets will likely have roughly $40 million to spend on external player additions this offseason.  With only David Wright and Jonathon Niese currently on the books for 2014, the Mets have a shade over $25 million committed to player salaries for 2014.

Jul 12, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson observes batting practice before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

That number will go up significantly once the arbitration process is over, and MLB Trade Rumors recently predicted what the Mets’ arbitration eligibles would receive.

With the Mets all but certain to DFA both Scott Atchison and Omar Quintanilla, the eight players who will likely receive arbitration from the Mets (with their estimated salary from MLBTR in parentheses) are Ike Davis ($3.5M), Lucas Duda ($1.8M), Dillon Gee ($3.4M), Daniel Murphy ($5.8M), Bobby Parnell ($3.2M), Ruben Tejada ($1M), Justin Turner ($800K), and Eric Young, Jr ($1.9M).

If you add the above arbitration salaries to the $25 million the Mets already have on the books, the payroll for 2014 increases to roughly $46.5 million.  Also needing to be factored in, are the salaries for the players who will be making close to the minimum (guys such as Travis d’Arnaud, Juan Lagares, Josh Edgin, Zack Wheeler, Vic Black, Jenrry Mejia, and others).

When you add the minimum salary guys to the equation, the total salary commitment for 2014 rises to roughly $55 million – a figure that general manager Sandy Alderson has stated is where the team expects to be before they add external players.

The Mets’ payroll on Opening Day in 2013 was $93.7 million.  If you add the $40 million the Mets are rumored to have available to spend on external players to the $55 million that will likely be committed to 2014 salaries before the team adds significant pieces, it comes to $95 million – right around where the payroll was at the start of 2013.

There have been some reports that the Mets’ payroll might go down slightly in 2014, which has angered some of the fanbase.  If you think about it, though, if the Mets spend $38 million this offseason instead of $40 million, the opening day payroll in 2014 will probably be a tad lower than it was in 2013.  However, if the Mets spend a large sum in an effort to improve the club, a payroll that’s a million dollars lower than it was in 2013 should be a non issue.

The Mets have vowed to spend a significant amount of money on external player acquisitions this offseason, and it appears that they do indeed have the payroll flexibility that should allow them to do so.  Starting today, it comes down to how they spend that money.

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