NEW YORK -- Though it's been discussed at length in the media, the issue of the Mets' payroll, or maybe lack thereof, is rarely discussed by the people who write the checks: The Wilpon family.

That changed Tuesday, when COO Jeff Wilpon finally addressed the elephant in the room during the team's annual beat writer luncheon at Citi Field. In his first public discussion of the payroll since 2014, Wilpon said the budget has not been set this year and he doesn't believe it will go down. He was very positive about the possibility of adding more.

However, it doesn't sound as though the Mets aren't about to start spending like the Yankees. According to Wilpon, a higher payroll doesn't necessarily correlate to a higher winning percentage.

"There is no concrete line to go up, there is no concrete line to go down or stay same," he said. "It's somewhat in flux to have conversations with Sandy and the rest of the baseball department to determine what the best course of action might be."

The Mets' payroll is currently in the $135-$145 million range and both Wilpon and general manager Sandy Alderson indicated that it could go up if they're able to come to terms with players they deem valuable. Last year, they had an Opening Day payroll north of $155 million, which was ranked No. 12 in the league.

Alderson said they're looking at the third base/second base situation and potentially in the market for another another pitcher, though they aren't sure if they need another starter or a reliever.Regardless, any of it would mean adding salary. It could be a cheap contract for Jose Reyes, or it could be a smart deal for Todd Frazier.

"Salary, we talk about it as a target it in the offseason and it usually goes up from there," Wilpon said. "I would expect that we're going to be in the same situation this year as well. It might come before the season it might come during the season."

But the frustration with fans stems from where they are compared to other big market teams. They're a big market team and the fans want to see them spend like one.

The prevailing notion is that the Wilpons have asked Alderson to do things on the cheap and he's obliged. Wilpon insists that it's actually the other way around, in that he takes his cues from Alderson and the baseball operations department and when money needs to be spent, it's spent.

"I go off what the baseball department wants to do and the plan they have and what they're suggesting. And the last couple years, it's been a good plan and we've obviously signed off on it as ownership," he said. "I understand the fan base's frustration and we have the same frustration. Not only myself, but the baseball department and the rest of the staff here at the Mets. Certainly, we want to win it.

"There's nobody going out there and trying to not win and not do their best to not put us in the absolute best position to win."

Mets' ownership wants you to know that they really are trying. However, whether or not fans believe that is a whole other issue.

Abbey Mastracco may be reached at amastracco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @abbeymastracco. Find NJ.com on Facebook.