Looks Like The Mets Are Being Cheap Again

The Mets traded away inconsistently good outfielder Jay Bruce to the Indians yesterday in exchange for a non-prospect named Ryder Ryan.

Joel Sherman reported last night that the Yankees were in the mix for Bruce, and willing to give up some actual prospects for him, but wanted the Mets to pay at least part of the nearly $4 million remaining on Bruce’s salary as part of the trade. The Mets, of course, chose the deal that would save them more money.

Bruce did have a no-trade clause, but:

Bruce isn’t a foundational player and the Mets are out of contention, but why own a big-market team if you can’t afford to pay a $4 million tax to get some actual prospects in exchange for one of your few decent players? The Wilpons have been willing to spend more money in recent years, but this move feels like old habits resurfacing.

Would anyone even give a shit about this trade and attendant reports if it did not involve the reliably mockable Mets? Probably not. Did the Wilpon family bring this upon themselves by being notorious cheapskates who were taken in by one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in American history? Hell yeah, they did.