PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- After surveying his players stretching on the morning of the New York Mets' first full-squad workout, principal owner Fred Wilpon reached into his pocket, pulled out a roll of $5 bills and lightheartedly flashed them for the media.

"We're OK," said Wilpon, who has been stung by the Ponzi scheme involving Bernard Madoff, in response to a question about his finances.

During a 22-minute interview Monday morning, Wilpon went on to address the progress in the sale of minority shares of the team, the future of face-of-the-franchise third baseman David Wright, the defection of Jose Reyes to the Miami Marlins, a $52 million payroll slashing and the fate of the 2013 All-Star Game, which is planned for Citi Field but has not yet been formally announced.

Wilpon said he already has all but formally sold seven $20 million, 4 percent minority shares to investors, with Major League Baseball approval granted and the money sitting in escrow. The sales of two more shares are nearing approval by MLB, Wilpon added, while an additional two are "in the process."

In total, Wilpon said, as many as 12 shares may be sold, which would infuse as much as $240 million into the organization. That would go toward paying off a $25 million loan from Major League Baseball, pay down the first mortgage on the team and provide cash on hand for operation of the franchise, Wilpon said.

Of the as many as 12 shares to be sold, two shares have been purchased by family -- by Wilpon's son, Jeff, and brother-in-law, Saul Katz. Four of the shares in escrow have been purchased by SportsNet New York, of which Wilpon's Mets own a majority stake, Wilpon said.

The 75-year-old Wilpon reiterated he has no intention of his family relinquishing majority control.

"They shouldn't be concerned about us owning the franchise, because we intend to own the franchise for a very long time," Wilpon said about his message to fans.

He then quipped: "Whether they're happy about that right now or not, I don't know."

Wright is under the team's control through 2013, including a team option. Wilpon said it will be a baseball-operations decision whether he ultimately signs an extension, walks away as a free agent or is traded beforehand.

"My intention is always to follow what the baseball people [say]," Wilpon said. "In spite of what you all used to say that we were running the baseball department, [general manager] Sandy Alderson has a great feel for this. So does [manager] Terry [Collins]. And if it works out, I would be thrilled. I think there's no finer guy. He's just a very fine young man. Any of us who are old enough to have him as a son would be proud to have him as a son."

The Mets are projected to have the largest single-season payroll cut in Major League Baseball history -- by $52 million, to $91 million. Yet Wilpon tried to suggest Alderson's philosophy was the primary motivation for that cut, more so than the team's dire finances.