Despite the New York Mets selling up to 25% of the team, GM Sandy Alderson has a positive outlook on the team’s future, and he believes he can turn them into a contender.

“My confidence in the future of the Mets is undiminished,” Alderson said, according to Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.

Costa speculates the results of Alderson’s work won’t come until next winter when as much as $60 million in player salaries comes off the books.  Only then will the worth of Alderson be able to be measured.

In addition to the possible sale of the team, the owners of the team, the Wilpons, are involved in a lawsuit filed against them by Irving Picard, the trustee seeking to recover funds on behalf of Bernie Madoff victims.

“I wasn’t privy to all of the detail, nor am I or most of us at this point privy to all that detail,” Alderson said. “And I wouldn’t expect to be. At the same time, none of that has affected what I have done over the last two months.”

If the Mets can weather the storm of 2011, and make a decision on whether to trade Jose Reyes by July 31st, they can go into next winter with a clean slate and make a good run for 2012. Depending on what happens in the next few months, players such as Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder would not be out of the question for the large market Mets.