Mets owner Fred Wilpon can’t believe the Yankees spend money

Mets ownership and their monetary issues have been front and center this offseason as the team has failed to make considerable moves to the roster so far.

A new report from the New York Post’s Mike Puma shows how out of touch Mets’ owner Fred Wilpon is about what it takes to put together a championship-contending team in New York.

Puma’s biggest highlight has to do with the elder Wilpon’s reaction to the news that the Yankees acquired National League MVP, Giancarlo Stanton.

"“Fred is pissed every time the Yankees make a move,” said a person who speaks to Wilpon regarding baseball matters. “And he always seems surprised.”"

Apparently, Wilpon believes the crosstown rival should be operating like the Mets in 2017 – a small market team that has to crunch numbers to be able to afford signing some players. For Wilpon to be surprised that the New York Yankees are making big moves after falling one game short of the World Series is embarrassing.

Fred Wilpon was supposedly taking more of a background role in ownership, leaving day to day activities to his son, Jeff. However, he hasn’t stopped himself from interfering when he deems appropriate.

What’s astounding is that after all these years, Wilpon still believes his model for operating his club is better than what the Yankees are doing in the Bronx.

"“[Wilpon] keeps saying the Yankees can’t keep this model up,” a source said. “And they keep showing that they can.”"

You can imagine this trend will likely continue into 2018. The Mets’ biggest signing thus far is reliever Anthony Swarzak. And yes, they needed bullpen help, so this was a good move, but it’s not the only one the team has needed to make. There’s still a big need at second, possibly at first, in the rotation, and maybe even in the outfield since Michael Conforto may not be ready for Opening Day.

Compare that to what the Yankees have done. After already having a great team in 2017, they went out and added Stanton, and are reportedly now looking to add Gerritt Cole to their rotation.

If you want to argue that the Mets aren’t at the Yankees’ financial level, that’s fine. Let’s take a look at what the Colorado Rockies are doing. They’ve already added bullpen arms, and are still looking to solidify their backend by trying to sign former Met Addison Reed.

Next: Dollar amount, expectations continue to fall in free agency

Unfortunately, for us, while ownership is this out of touch with reality, we’re going to be rooting for a team that’s at best, average. Being a Mets fan hasn’t ever been easy, but going into 2018, it seems like the odds are stacked even more against the team we love.