The 18 Million Dollar Question

In 2010, the Pittsburgh Pirates total payroll was just south of $35,000,000. If Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez were Pirates they’d account for over 50% of the teams total budget. As it is their 18 Million is a substantial 12% of the total Mets payroll. Consider that they are only a drop in the bucket for the Wilpons who have allegedly lost $500 Million to Bernie Madoff but it’s not like as a working adult I can look at those contracts and say, “Drop them, I would.”

I’m not a multi-millionaire and even if I were I don’t know if I’d be willing to let $18 Million go to waste. Oliver Perez has already refused to even help the situation by accepting a demotion to the minors so if he’s healthy and NOT a free agent he has to be on the 25-Man Roster. The same has not been asked of Castillo, but Castillo isn’t exactly going to get younger by returning to the minors. I bring Castillo up in this regard because I am disgusted by Perez’s refusal to make a sacrifice to help the team and I don’t know if Castillo would be willing to be creative. Rather than part with the Mets, perhaps the Mets allow Castillo to become a coach or special instructor or anything within the organization. Maybe the fact that he’s only a 3^rd of the cost made me a 3^rd as unhappy with him but I think Castillo has not been quite as negative an influence with the Mets… minus that one pop-up.

The question ends up being: What makes more sense? Let those 18 Million little pieces of paper float down into the sewer or to see if cheaper talent is also BETTER talent?

The Media has made up their mind. Perez and Castillo must go and will likely go. Baseball is a business but at a certain point winning means more than getting value out of poorly spent money. Not to mention all of the misdirected fan anger. Dropping the pair will earn Alderson a bump in the approval ratings from Met fans. However is it the player's fault they are being paid so much? I'll admit that Perez has dug his own grave here, but I think Castillo has been wrongly blamed for Omar Minaya's mistake.

What is the right course?

At this point I think Castillo and Perez just need to be dropped, but that won't happen until after this spring.

This is Phlavio Phega and, if it relates to the Mets, I have an opinion.