PORT ST. LUCIE — Jeff Wilpon is instituting a “Don’t ask, don’t sell” policy when it comes to the Mets.
In other words, even if you have pockets deep enough, don’t ask about buying controlling interest in the club.
“We’re not selling controlling interest of the team,” Wilpon, the team’s COO, said yesterday at the Mets’ spring training complex. “It’s not on the table.”
Last month, the Wilpons said they are willing to sell as much as 25 percent of the club to raise money for a potential settlement in Irving Picard’s clawback lawsuit on behalf of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme victims. Jeff Wilpon yesterday said selling part of the team is still a possibility, but other options are being explored.
Martin Luther King III, Mark Cuban and Donald Trump are among those who have expressed interest in owning some or all of the Mets.
“There’s a lot of interest and good interest from real people that you haven’t read about,” Wilpon said. “Most of what you’ve read about is not real.”
Wilpon also vowed his family would be victorious in Picard’s lawsuit. Picard is seeking up to $1 billion in damages. Principal owner Fred Wilpon, team president Saul Katz (who is Fred Wilpon’s brother-in-law) and the younger Wilpon are all named in the lawsuit.
“I feel really bad for my family and bad for my dad and my uncle because this is just unfounded criticism on them,” Jeff Wilpon said. “They’ve had years and years that they have been good citizens, good businessmen and to attack them the way they have been attacked is real unfair, unfounded. We’re going to fight [the lawsuit] and we’re going to be victorious at the end.”
Wilpon said the lawsuit is an ownership issue tied to the Mets’ parent company, Sterling Equities, and has nothing to do with operating the Mets.
“Our payroll is going to be $145-$150 million, that is tops in baseball or right up there,” Wilpon said. “And we’re going to be committed to make sure all the resources are here to continue to run this thing the way it’s been run. We’re going to continue to make it work and move forward.”