Good morning.
Gary asked –
Mack here's a question: do you think
it's enough for management that we play meaningful games in September as far as
how much they make dollar wise or put another way do you know the financial
difference between what they made in 2015 when we went to the WS and what they
made last year when we only made it to the WC. To make the signing of a much
needed lefty in the pen, and really 2 would be better, about the money is just
foolish and to think they paid what... $22 million for this team in 1980 and
it's worth 1.5 to 2 BILLION today...Wow
Mack – Let me break down your question.
1. The
profit and loss statements/situations involving the Mets are about as stealth
as missile testing in North Korea. What we can safely assume, is that the team
is in the black, even after paying themselves their huge salaries (which are
not considered operation expenses).
2. The
pre-season isn’t over yet. And Jerry Blevens and Fernando Salas
have been inked since you wrote this question.
3. You
can’t compare $22mil in 1980 with the value of the team now. The cost of
operating this team, paying taxes, debt on the stadium, etc.is completely different.
The value of this team is based on the value of the total package before paying
off what is owed. That would have to be paid off by the selling team (Mets}.
4. Lastly,
a value of a sports franchise is based on profit per season times a cash flow
multiple, which is determined by the economy and banking climate. I sold my
first radio station in 1988 for 10 times cash flow… my cash flow was $440K,
thus I was paid $4.4mil. I sold my last station in 1990 at three times cash
flow because the economy had tanked and, when all the deals were done, I still
owed the bank $1mil and they called in the note.
Back
to your original question, owning and operating a major sports franchise is an
emotional one and every owner wats to win the big one. And no one wants to win
it more than the Wilpons.
Mike asked –
I saw last week that the Giants signed
29 year old Korean 3B Jae-gyun Hwang to a Minor
League Deal and if he makes the opening day roster he gets $1.5 Million. Why are the Mets not making more signings
like this? The guy hit .330 with 26 home
runs and 104 RBIs in 118 games as well as stealing 24 bases. Now is he going to do that over here?
Probably not but still I'm sure he would provide great depth in the minors
especially since the current Mets 3B has a history of back problems. This is the stuff that bothers me that the
Mets don't take more chances with International free agents. Instead they'll sign someone like Niuman Romero who hit .248 last year.
Mack – Thanks for the question Mike.
The Mets, especially under
Sandy Alderson, never have been a big buyer of players
outside the normal Latin American channels, like the Dominican Republic,
Curacao, and Venezuela. They especially don’t participate in Asian and European
countries that often.
Maybe their lack of
success here is part of the reason. Here are the Asian players that have played
for the Mets since 2000 and their stat line –
2000 – none
2001 – OF Tsuyoshi Shinjo:
400-AB, .268
2002 – P Satoru Komiyama:
25-G, 5.61 -
P Jae-weong Seo:
1-G, 0.00
2003 – OF Tsuyoshi Shinjo: 114-AB, .193 –
P Jae-weong
Seo: 32-G, 3.82
2004 – P Jae-weong Seo: 24-G, 4.90 –
SS Kazuo
Matsui: 460-AB, .272
2005 – P Jae-weong Seo: 14-G, 2.59 –
SS Kazuo Matsui:
267-AB, .255 -
P Dae-Sung Koo: 33-6, 3.91 –
P Shingo
Takatsu: 9-G, 2.35
2006 – SS Kazuo Matsui: 130-AB, .200
2007 – none
2008 – none
2009 – P Ken Takahashi: 28-G, 2.96
2010 – P Hisanori Takahashi:
53-G, 3.61 –
P Ryota Igarashi:
34-G, 7.12
2011 – P Ryota Igarashi: 45-G, 4.66
2012 – none
2013 – P Daisuke Matsuzaka:
7-G, 4.42
2014 – P Daisuke Matsuzaka: 34-G, 3.89
2015 – none
2016 – none
Frankly Mike, they haven’t
been big spenders in the Latin bonus draft each season. They have been (with
their last season stats) -
2016-17:
SS
Sebastian Espino - $300,000 – has not played yet
OF
Ezequiel Pena - $200,000 – DSL Mets, .103
2B
Luis Santana - $200,000 – DSL Mets, .293
OF
Jean Carlos Soto - $150,000 – has not played yet
2015-16:
SS
Gregory Guerrero - $1,500,000 – DSL Mets, .247
SS
Andres Gimenez - $1,200,000 – DSL Mets, .350
SS
Shervyen Newton - $50,000 – has not played yet
2014-15:
SS
Kenny Hernandez - $1,000,000 – GCL Mets, .203
SS
Yoel Romero - $300,000 – 2015 DSL, .194, OOB
SS
Edgardo Fermin - $250,000 – DSL Mets, .230
OF
Tulio Garcia - $175,000 – DSL Mets, .140
LHP
Daniel Guzman - $140,000 – DSL Mets – 3.38
RHP
Jhoander Churio - $130,000 – DSL Mets – 2.25
SS
Hansel Moreno - $50,000 – DSL Mets, .317
2013-14:
OF
Ricardo Cespedes - $725,000 – Kingsport, .322
C
Ali Sanchez - $690,000 – Brooklyn, .216
SS
Yeffry De Aza - $475,000 – K-Port, .199, Bklyn, .000
SS
Luis Carpio - $300,000 – GCL-Mets, .290
RHP
Luis Silva - $275,000 – GCL 3.06, Columbia,
2.08
SS
Cecilio Aybar - $251,000 – Kingsport, .300
2012-13:
SS
Amed Rosario - $1,750,000 – Binghamton, .341
RHP
Ronald Guedez - $170,000 – Kingsport, 1.08
SS
Franklin Correa - $155,000 – K=Port, .214 -
3B
Walter Rasquin - $140,000 – Kingsport, .294
SS
Miguel Patino - $135,000 – GCL Mets, .263
RHP
Scarlyn Reyes - $25,000 – St. Lucie, 5.90
2011-12:
C
Jose Garcia - $800,000 – Columbia, .200
3B
Jhoan Urena - $425,000 – St. Lucie, .225
C
Dionis Rodriguez - $185,000 – K=Port, .246,
LHP
Adrian Almeida
- $170,000 – K-Port, 6.14
RHP
Nicholas Debora - $115,000 – GCL Mets, 4.46
RHP
Marcos Molina - $100,000 – DL/St. Lucie
Rosario looks like a
future star, and a candle is lit fur Guerrero, Cespedes, and Molina, but, as of
right now, none of Sandy’s Latin bonus babies have made it to Queens.
