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Big League Stew

Sat Nov 05 05:19am EDT

Mets lay off nearly 10 percent of their non-playing employees

By David Brown

Mets lay off nearly 10 percent of their non-playing employeesBefore Game 7 of the World Series, reporters asked commissioner Bud Selig about the $25 million that Major League Baseball had loaned the New York Mets back in November 2010. Has Mets ownership, which has been fighting a lawsuit demanding the Wilpons return monies gained allegedly from the Ponzi scheme run by Bernie Madoff, paid back MLB yet?

Selig didn't say definitively, but he sounded not worried. Bud's got 99 problems and the Mets ain't one.

"We are doing fine with the Mets," Selig said. "I don't have any concerns. I do have a lot of concerns but I am happy to say the Mets aren't one of them."

Perhaps that's because the Mets will be able to pay back the loan, in part because they freed up some cash by laying off about 15 of their roughly 180 non-player employees, the New York Post reports. Nearly 10 percent. The employees worked in the business, clubhouse and scouting departments. The Mets also released this statement:

"Several weeks ago, we made workforce reductions in both the baseball and business operations departments, which amounted to less than 10 percent of our full-time staff."

So much for re-signing Jose Reyes(notes). So much for being able to afford a 40-man roster. 

I thought Matthew Pouliot at Hardball Talk was kidding when he said it was likely the team's 14 vice presidents all kept their jobs. He wasn't kidding: they really do have 14 vice presidents. That's one more than the Yankees. It's not unusual for a team to have so many executive types, but to give you an idea of the lower end of the spectrum, the A's have five.

Still unconcerned with the Mets, Mr. Commissioner? Hopefully, he's a little worried about the families of those who have been without jobs for several weeks, even though Selig didn't express any concern a week ago about the Mets. Should we presume that MLB knew about the Mets' layoffs when they made them? Or are they finding out now, like the rest of us?

There's something to be worried about, either way.

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