Sandy Alderson would like to see the New York Mets win 90 games this season, but he clarified earlier remarks about the lofty win total.

The Mets have produced five straight losing seasons and have a roughly $89 million payroll.

Alderson insisted a tangible win total was important.

"Was I surprised by the skepticism? Am I concern about the optics? No," Alderson said. "It's time for us to get better. What you can measure, you can improve. I can't really measure competitiveness.

"You have to understand the context within which the statement was made and the purpose behind it if the skepticism is, 'How are they going to win 90 games?' It wasn't a guarantee. It wasn't a prediction. It was a challenge, OK? A challenge to all of us internally: How do we get there?"