David Wright expects Mets to spend this offseason, just as he was told

David Wright says he's been like most Mets fans this offseason. As the days and weeks go by without any significant additions, the Mets' captain admittedly is getting "impatient." But he hasn't lost hope quite yet.

Wright said Monday in an interview with WFAN's Mike Francesa that he expects team officials to live up to what they told him before he re-signed a year ago -- that this would be the offseason they finally have the ability and flexibility to start upgrading the major-league roster.

"I'm expecting us to field a much better team this year than we have in years past, yes," Wright said. "There are expectations."

Noting the need for offensive upgrades, Wright said Sandy Alderson is "probably tired of hearing from me," what with Wright constantly reaching out to the general manager to offer help in potentially recruiting free agents to Citi Field.

"I think we need help offensively, there's no question about that," Wright said.

The Mets' only acquisition of note has been the signing of free-agent outfielder Chris Young to a one-year, $7.25-million contract, and that move has done little to reassure the Mets' fan base that the franchise is primed to be spenders again this offseason.

The 30-year-old Young is coming off a down season with the Oakland A's in which he hit .200 with a .280 on-base percentage in 107 games.

But with roughly $40 million off the Mets' books in the form of the expired Jason Bay and Johan Santana contracts, Alderson repeatedly has insisted this offseason that the Mets will be more active than in the past.

Alderson said last week he expects the payroll to be at least $87 million. That gives him about $25 million more to spend on an infusion of proven talent. That's the plan the front office sold to Wright last offseason during the negotiations for his eight-year, $138-million contract, which effectively made him a Met for life.

"We discussed this winter as being the time where we can spend some money, where we get flexible, where we can make some moves to be going in the direction we need to be going," Wright said. "This is New York. We need to put a winning product out on the field. There's no question about that."

A Met since 2004, Wright has played on one team that qualified for the postseason, and that was in 2006. He said getting there again, and doing so as part of a team built to win for years to come, would go a long way toward softening the sting left from all these down years at Citi Field.

"I'm not here to sugarcoat anything. It's been ugly the last few years," he said. "I want to be one of those main reasons why we get things turned around going in the right direction. Because I've had a little taste of what it's like to win in New York, and it's addicting."