Mets COO Jeff Wilpon On WFAN: 'We're Ready To Invest'
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- The Mets enter the All-Star break nine games under .500 and in fourth place in the National League East.
But the club has been playing far better as of late, and with the emergence of young hurler Zack Wheeler in addition to National League All-Star Game starter Matt Harvey -- not to mention several top pitching prospects in the minors -- there is reason for optimism.
And for the first time in some offseasons, the Mets appear poised to spend some serious money to improve the club this winter. Both Johan Santana and Jason Bay's bloated contracts will come off the books, which will provide the franchise with some much-needed relief.
"We haven't set a payroll for next year, but I can tell you we're ready to invest with those big contracts coming off the books," Mets COO Jeff Wilpon told WFAN host Mike Francesa on Monday. "We have the money to invest. We're going to invest it prudently. (General manager) Sandy (Alderson) is going to set a path.
"There's no predetermined set way we're going to spend the money, but we do have the money to spend, and depending how it all falls out ... what trades can be made or can't be made, and where Sandy thinks the best use of those funds are."
Wilpon insists that his general manager isn't handcuffed moving forward.
"It has some effect on how many people come out and support us," Wilpon said. "But we think the product we're going to be putting on the field, (the fans) are going to come out and support it because they're going to be excited about it, with the young kids as well."
When Wilpon was asked what the biggest misconception about the franchise is, he spoke passionately about how the organization is devoted to bringing a championship club back to Queens.
Jeff Wilpon
"I think that ownership and the organization doesn't care about the fans," Wilpon said when asked to name the biggest misconception. "We care about the fans. We want to put a good product out there. We live and die with the team, and we wouldn't own it if we didn't want to live and die with the team. This is our life, this is our business and we'd like to do a better job at it. And we need to do a better job, and we will ... We're going to do what we need to do to win."
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