Can someone tell me where in the world that figure comes from?

Santana is $31 million. Bay i think is $21 million. Buck is $6 million, Wright at $11 million.

Ike will get $1.5 in arbitration
Murph will get $3 in arbitration
Francisco is $6 million I believe
Niese at around $2.5

That's $82 million there. I'm sure I am missing a couple guys too.

On Friday Rubin said that even though Bay deferred $15 million the organization is counting his full $21 million against the 2013 payroll.

"For our method, Wright’s 2013 figure is $11 million for a payroll calculation -- the contract figure, even though $3 million is deferred. Jason Bay’s entire $21 million is still assigned to 2013, even though the Mets’ actual outlay this year is believed now to be only $6 million. And $31 million is assigned for Santana, which includes $25.5 million in salary and a $5.5 million buyout of 2014."

http://www.forums.mlb.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?toUserId=401607236&nav=post&webtag=ml-mets&replyToTid=546720&replyToTsn=1

The actual payroll is $73 million.

Where are we getting $31M for Santana, $21M for Bay, and $11M for Wright this season?

so that is already about 6m lower than what it was said (multiple times) it was SUPPOSED to be. Then the projected payroll will be 88m...then 83m...etc. They still should have at LEAST 20m to spend....I'd be surprised if they spent even half of that TBH

Hmmm ok. Well I guess that answers my question, though it's a bit puzzling to me. Unless of course they have their sights set on a gigantic spending spree next offseason.

Neither do I, but they should stop lying about it every season.

"On Friday Rubin said that even though Bay deferred $15 million the organization is counting his full $21 million against the 2013 payroll."

That is pathetic....and I bet they will count it AGAIN the next couple of years too....

That's just Rubin's method of figuring payroll:

"There are different ways to compute payroll, but I’m told by a team insider the logical way to calculate it for public consumption is the year the salary is originally intended, even if money is deferred."

So in reality, we are probably at about $78M right now.

It answers the question, but I'd love to know how they count Bay and Wright's deferred money and Santana's 2014 buyout against the payroll.

That's $23 million they're trying to pass off as expenditures that aren't being spent.

I know it's early. I still have to SEE it to believe it though...and I think I have MORE than earned the right as a Mets fan to be skeptical of the terrible ownership. They have said PLENTY of times things that eventually turned into lies.

They said repeatedly payroll would be the same or higher than 2012.

I don't either but, as is, the team isn't in a good position to win so the payroll does become something we need to concern ourselves with.

But when we say "in reality", does that mean it's the reality the Mets will play by? If a team insider is telling Rubin this, I wonder if there's a reason behind that. Suppose we'll find out when we see what else is (or isn't) done over the next month or two.

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Edited 12/17/2012 10:44 pm ET by nvmets10

This is what Rubin's exact words were

"There are different ways to compute payroll, but I’m told by a team insider the logical way to calculate it for public consumption is the year the salary is originally intended, even if money is deferred."