1 - they are cutting payroll because after a decade of expanding payroll like the fans wanted they are broke. BTW, last year's team was no worse than the year before, with a greatly reduced payroll. This year's team will be no worse than last year's team with another 20 million off the books. They will be as good at 70-80 million as they were at 140 million. That isnt being cheap, that is being fiscally responsible. They SHOULD cut payroll, and I am happy they are finally doing it.

2 - they are absoluetly building a foundation. This team has much better pitching prospects than they have had in years, if not ever. They finally traded for a catcher that could be a solid backstop for the next 5 years (i wont be so crazy as to say 10, because that is too far down the road to speculate). You would rather they spend more on FA and continue to be mediocre, but have to raise ticket prices, and parking, and concessions to make up for the higher payroll than to have them cut payroll and not raise prices? Well I dont live in NY, so it makes no difference to me what a ticket costs.

3 - This strategy is much more Tampa Bay than Kansas City. I started to right about their pitching prospects, but held off. With Harvey, Wheeler, Mejia, Familia, even Gorski and in two years Syndergaard, and I am leaving some names out... the Mets have a ton of solid arms. They can hold them now, and when they are actually ready to compete for a division they can trade them for 'now'. They are not close to do so.

Do I like the Wilpons as owner? Absoluetly not. I think they are atrocious, and I hope they sell. That said, I dont need to spend their money for them, and I realize the parameters that this team is guided under. I also believe, and have for a long time, it is better to build from within than to buy a team. These past few years have been painful, but are necessary to start over. When a forest grows too wild, a purging fire is inevitable and natural.

Hetfield is a koolaider? I thought he was a realist. It's so hard keeping track

I never said trade Dickey for Stanton...I'd do that..they wouldn't, but I'd trade Wheeler and whoever else we had in the minors for him. Even now, I'd offer Wheeler and the God like Snydergaard for him...maybe they're stupid enough to bite. Prospects are overrated.

They are broke because they were involved in the Bernie Madoff scandle.

Ino ther words, with the exception of Wheeler and Mejia, trade all of the players the Mets dont like on their own team for players that are upgrades at each position. Why would any other team do this?

"We'd have a solid rotation with Dickey-Niese-FA-Gee-Harvey." Where does the money come from for that FA?

"In 2014 we add a FA catcher. The other speedy OF, a FA pitcher or two to replace Santana," With what money? Three or four FA in one offseason of what you are asking for is insane, even if the team had the money you think they do, which they clearly dont.

The Mets may be in the same market as the Yankees, but they are not in the same league. The yankees can afford 200 million dollar payrolls a year, the mets can not. And that was before their financial problems.

You are talking about what good owners would have done, and even if you are right, the Mets dont have good owners. Im not arguing that, so realize what they DO have, and this move was essential for what they DO have now. They DONT have the money to spend 150 million in one offseason on players. They cant reload like the yankees, or Angels (BTW how was the posteason for the ANgels last year?) Look at the Red Sox, doing the same things as the Mets because they cant afford it. The Yankees should not be emulated. Tampa Bay or San Francisco should be the model, not the Yankees. Being in NY is a curse for the Mets, because they feel they need to outspend everyone. Wilpons aside, I am glad they fianlly have a GM who realizes they cant.

Having 8 years of a payroll over 140 million a year didnt help much either. BTW, in the decade+ that the Mets had either the top or #2 payroll in the NL, did they have more seasons above or below 500? It is actually pretty close... going off the top of my head i think its 5-6 either way. Doesnt matter which way you look at it, for spending that much money that didnt get them anywhere.

This year's team will be no worse than last year's team with another 20 million off the books. They will be as good at 70-80 million as they were at 140 million. That isnt being cheap, that is being fiscally responsible. They SHOULD cut payroll, and I am happy they are finally doing it.

No worse than last years team?

We lost a Cy Young 20 game winner. We got Buck in return. How in the world are we not going to be worse?

Last year we were the worst team in baseball when Dickey didn't pitch. As good as anyone when he did. Now, he's gone and you say we are no worse? What are you smoking?

Oh wait...you're using the Saztastic arguement....Everyone is going to play as good as they did during any part of the season last year, all year long this year. If they were lousy last year, they will bounce back, and nobody will have a worse year than last year...okay, if that happens fine...the Mets only lose 88 games again. However, if you really think that will happen I have this great bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you....

They won 74 games last year. You really think they will drop much further? Ok, this team is MUCH worse now.... they may win 65 games instead of 74. OUCH. As much as I want them to win, if they do it only helps the team anyway.

The Mets are in the same market but not in the same league as the Yankees? What does that mean? We used to own this town. We could again. The Wilpons are stupid in business. They let Madoff bamboozle them. They have no clue...I am glad you gree.

Now, perhaps we can't do better than being the KC or Pittsburgh Mets now that the Wilpons are broke. What I'm saying is, Don't be happy about it and say it's a good thing. It's not.

The way this team is run is a disgrace. If the Wilpons were smarter we'd be able to be arrogant and say the regular season means nothing and its all about the post season. People would be shocked when we DIDN'T make the playoffs.

At least we can agree that the Wilpons stink.

No one is in the same league as the Yankees. Their payroll is over 200 million every year. Only the Angels come close now. Even if the Mets spent like many of the people here, they would be at a payroll 75% of the Yankees. That doesnt even include the salary tax the Yanks pay. When the Mets ran NY in the mid 80s it wasnt because they spent more, it was because they developed good talent. Every time the Mets go out to spend big money it fails. It did in the early 90s, it did in 2001 after the WS, and it has been miserable since with the exception of 2006. Spending big money is not what the Mets should do to be a winner. Building through their farm system is.

The difference between what the Mets should be and KC is not how much they spend on FA, but when they have a stud player hit arbitration the Mets hopefully wont need to trade him. If KC could keep their players they would be an excellent team. The Mets can keep them... they just need them first.

Recent polls indicate most consider me a realist.

But it's hard to keep track these days.