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Michael Bourn Rumors: Thursday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [February 7, 2013 at 1:58pm CST]

The Mets have discussed three-year deals for Michael Bourn, and might be willing to offer a fourth season. However, they don’t seem willing to spend close to $15MM per season and they would only sign the center fielder if their 11th overall draft pick becomes protected. Here are today's Bourn-related rumors, with the most recent items up top...

Joel Sherman of the New York Post doesn't get the sense that the commissioner's office would relent to help the Mets sign Bourn (all Twitter links). Bud Selig doesn't want to create the perception that he favors Mets owner Fred Wilpon and the commissioner's office isn't inclined to help agent Scott Boras. Arbitration remains a possibility, however. Sherman's hunch is that the Mets would offer three years and $30-35MM. Boras appears to want to obtain at least $13MM per season on a deal that surpasses Angel Pagan's four-year, $40MM contract.

Earlier updates:

It's likely that the Mets' 11th overall draft pick would be protected if they sign Bourn, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (Twitter links). This would be accomplished through negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA, Bowden adds. Both parties negotiating the CBA intended to protect the picks of the teams with the ten worst records, Bowden reports. This would strengthen the Mets' argument for keeping the 11th overall pick.
Bowden hears from an interested team that Bourn is more likely to sign for $14-15MM per year than for $11-12MM per year (Twitter link).
The Mets are still “very motivated” to sign Bourn and their interest in him is sincere, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports. The team remains adamant about keeping its first round draft choice, the 11th overall selection. The process of filing a grievance on Bourn’s behalf has not yet been initiated, according to Martino. If the Mets do push for resolution on the issue, it’ll end up in front of an independent arbitrator who will hear arguments from MLB and the MLBPA.