Mets’ Pitching Pursuit Will Take Time
David Lennon of Newsday talked to Mets GM Omar Minaya, who expects his pursuit of a starting pitcher to be drawn out. Minaya suggested it could be resolved by mid-January.
The Mets have a three-year, $36MM offer out to Derek Lowe and have made other offers as well. It’s been suggested the Mets will top out around three years and $40MM. In a report yesterday, Tony Massarotti said the Mets and Lowe discussed two proposals last week: a four-year deal and a three-year contract with a vesting option. Massarotti suggests the Mets entered the bidding with a weak offer because Lowe has no other suitor in the Northeast. If the Mets don’t improve the offer much, it’ll be a test of how much geography matters to Lowe. Though not in Lowe’s preferred geographic region, Gerry Fraley considers the Braves in the mix for him.
Oliver Perez is next in line for Omar Minaya, though Lennon believes his future is linked to Lowe’s. If neither Boras client can be signed, Randy Wolf and Jon Garland become the targets. Pedro Martinez remains a possibility as well. The plan is nice and all, but other teams need starting pitching too and may start signing these guys in the next few weeks.
Peavy To Cubs Unlikely
Yahoo’s Tim Brown asked Padres GM Kevin Towers whether the Cubs’ talks for Jake Peavy might reopen now that they’ve freed up cash. Towers’ reply: "Doubtful." To Tom Krasovic, Towers said, "The Cubs’ most recent trades have no bearing or connections with us and the Cubs in a potential Peavy deal." Krasovic notes that one big factor for the Cubs remains getting approval from new ownership to add Peavy’s $16MM salary to the 2010 payroll.
Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times agrees that the team’s trade of Mark DeRosa "was made independent of Peavy considerations." Brown says the $8MM or so the Cubs cleared from the ’09 payroll is to pay for Milton Bradley, their top right field target. Bradley wants three years and $30MM and the Cubs will approach that.
Bruce Levine of ESPN Radio considers the Cubs signing Bradley a "done deal," though the Nationals were reported yesterday to have serious interest. Wittenmyer says the Cubs still "appear confident" about signing Bradley. It could be something they try to announce at the Cubs Convention, which begins January 16th. Paul Sullivan says the Cubs have been Bradley’s "preferred choice since Day One of the offseason."