SI.com’s Jon Heyman is reporting that the Mets went back to Scott Boras with a better offer for Oliver Perez. Initially, the Mets offered 3-years/$30 million but pulled the offer when Perez didn’t accept it.
The word on the street is that the Mets have gone to four years for Ollie. I think that’ll max out the duration that they’ll offer. The money is probably still negotiable though.
This week the Mets announced two more minor league deals. Outfielders Rob Mackowiak and Cory Sullivan signed as insurance options for the outfield. Certainly they’ll begin the season at Buffalo and serve as insurance policies for any potential problems in the outfield.
Sullivan will be 30 years old in August and has played his entire four year career in Colorado. He played regularly in 2005 and 2006, but lost playing time recently to Scott Podsednik.
Mackowiak will be 33 years old in June and has eight major league seasons under his belt. Last year he was released by the Nationals and caught on with the Reds minor league system.
Free agent Freddy Garcia signed off the scrap heap for as much as $9 million according to various media reports. Garcia has basically missed the last two seasons due to injury and surgery. He’s only pitched in 14 games over those two seasons.
His deal is a minor league contract so the Mets have the flexibility to start his season at Buffalo, or possibly keep him there all season. Garcia will be 33 years old this season, so he’s looking to have a positive season that will propel him to another major league contract.
It’s interesting that Garcia chose the Mets to sign with. There were rumors that several teams were looking at him including the Yankees. He must have felt that his best shot at a spot on the major league roster was with the Mets. He’ll compete with Tim Redding and Jon Niese for the fifth rotation spot in spring training.
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SI’s Jon Heyman joins Mike Francesa on WFAN to talk hot stove baseball. He gets into the Oliver Perez situation versus Ben Sheets to the Mets. Manny Ramirez is also discussed.
Two more arbitration eligible players agreed to contract terms with the Mets today. Ryan Church is getting a 1-year/$2.8 million deal and Angel Pagan got a 1-year/$575,000 deal.
Angel Pagan started the season really hot in left field last season before an injury in May in Los Angeles. He lost the rest of the season to a torn labrum in his shoulder. He’s currently recovering from the surgery.
Ryan Church also started the season well in right field last season before suffering a concussion on Atlanta. He wasn’t the same player afterward and there was much criticism for the way the Mets handled the injury. Church also suffered a nasty concussion during spring training last season. The combination of the two really left his season with unfulfilled promise.
Only John Maine and Pedro Feliciano remain arbitration eligible.
Jeremy Reed also avoided arbitration with the Mets today. Duaner Sanchez also signed a contract today. Reed agreed to a 1-year/$925,000 deal.
Reed was acquired with J.J. Putz in a trade with Seattle last month. He hit .269 with 2 HR and 31 RBI’s in 286 at-bats last year.
Today the Mets agreed with Duaner Sanchez on a 1-year/$1,687,500 contract. That’s one of the six players off the Mets board that are salary arbitration eligible. Last season Sanchez made $950,00.
I have to say that I was really disappointed in Sanchez at several points last season. He had his up’s and down’s. He finished the season with a good 5-1 record but with a 4.32 ERA and 1.320 WHIP. The latter stats were major drop off’s from his prior three seasons. Of course, he didn’t pitch at all in 2007 after injuring his shoulder in a car accident. He’s just never looked the same to me since then. His fastball isn’t even close to the mid-90’s, where he was before the injury.
The Mets Report 