11:52pm: Carig now cites another source (via Twitter) who says that Drew and the Mets have had "continuous discussions."
9:53pm: Free-agent shortstop Stephen Drew and the Mets haven't talked much recently, Newsday's Marc Carig writes. "Regarding Drew, there has not been much dialogue at all," a source close to the Mets told Carig.
Heading into mid-February, there isn't much indication that Drew is close to signing. Red Sox GM Ben Cherington has said that he didn't expect his team to sign Drew before spring training started. Meanwhile, the Mets' level of interest has seemed tepid, even though they currently have Ruben Tejada, who struggled through a miserable 2013 season, penciled in as their starting shortstop. As with a number of high-profile free agents who remain unsigned, the issue of draft-pick forfeiture appears to have had a significant impact on Drew's market. As Carig notes, however, Drew's agent, Scott Boras, is no stranger to 11th-hour deals, and he has a week to go before position players report to spring training.
I feel like the Yankees are going to get him. They need him the most and they don’t care about the draft pick since they are going big in international FA.
Then where does the $20 million man Jeter play?
That’s $12M. And I don’t think they are going to sign Drew
Jeter will still be at short, and Drew will play 2nd since he is willing to play other postitions. But if Jeter gets injured, Drew will move to short.
I think Drew would go to 3B and Brian Roberts would be at 2B and Kelly Johnson platooning at 2B/3B
I think he would play 3B myself as 2B is Johnsons best position and they have Roberts as well (not that I expect him to stay healthy)
Sure, but Boras’ wants an opt-out clause after a year. Nobody is going to give up a draft pick for someone who has the ability to leave after one year.
Think that just a stall tactic. Lots of misinformation in media right now.
Stall for what?
For Spring Training. I’m sure they got final offers from all teams involved by now. But the money they’re looking at isn’t what they want. So continue to demand the moon (stay in the news), and wait until ST starts and see how the chips fall. This opt-out demand is only a week old. Why else would he wait until Feb to ask for it?
Boras “No ones met our asking price Nov thru Jan.”
Drew “Great, 2 wks until ST, perfect time to up our demands.”
There are teams who want Drew but for some reason they are all playing small ball together rather that bidding against each other. If Drew threatens to wait until June, more teams will be interested then since he wont cost a pick. In ST you have the possibility of injury that raises his value as well. Patience.
Who are these teams? You only see the Mets and Red Sox as potential signers, sometimes the Yankees will get thrown out there as well. They’re not bidding against each other because Drew’s public demand of 3+ years and an opt-out clause is out there, in addition to having to surrender a draft pick. He also clearly wants a pay day if he turned down $14MM.
But Drew doesn’t have to stall for time. It is not like he has a deadline to sign with a team. Drew can sit at home unsigned until June without saying anything if he wants to.
The Boston writers seem convinced he’s headed to the Mets, while the Mets writers have been fed consistent sources that they’re “longshots” despite Drew having virtually no suitors. Weird.
I wonder how this all ends up.
Mets would be stupid to sign him an opt after 1 year. Red Sox are the only team who would be willing to give him a 1 year 10-11M deal. Boras won’t given that he messed up not taking the QO. I think a 3/36M with the Mets, no opt out and a no-trade claus would get the deal done. Anything less then 3 years for anyone but the Sox would be a bad deal for both sides.
Mets would be bidding against themselves at 3/36. I think they are probably offering a 2/20 deal now and maybe willing to do 3/30 at most. As a Mets fan, I’d stay away away from anything bigger than 2/24.
I truly hope they don’t sign him, has all the earmarks of Jason Bay part two.
imo, 3/36 or anything greater would be a bad move for the Mets. True, he’d be a big upgrade over Tejada, but as another poster said, all the rumors out there are indicating that there is almost no market for Drew.
The main external factors that should be governing the Mets’ interest are next year’s SS FA class (which is decent), and their own internal SS prospects, all of which are ~2 years away. 2/24 would be my absolute ceiling for Drew, with no opt-out clause.
He would be an upgrade over Tejada but “big” is an overstatement. Tejada was worth more in 2011 and 2012, and that as a 21/22 year old.
Well, considering that Drew was battling injuries for both of those seasons and the fact that Tejada hugely regressed in 2013, I’m sticking with ‘big’.
Someone should have taken his qualifying offer.
Ubaldo? Cruz? Drew? Lohse last year? Morales?
Drew and Morales for sure.
Morales is hating himself right now. Drew still will probably get a 3 year deal with 10M AAV. Ubaldo shouldn’t of gambled, Lohse made out ok. Cruz turned down 75M and now he would be lucky to get half that.
Agreed on all counts.
Yankees would only be losing a 2nd rounder which is not worth much at all. Mets would be losing a 3rd rounder which is worth less. I think the draft pick excuse is a cover for collusion myself
It is not as if the draft pick excuse just spawned this offseason, it has been around since the old “Type A” “Type B” free agent period. There are 10 teams that will “only” have to surrender a second round pick to get Drew, including 9 of the worst teams last year, yet none of them are. Boras’ is once again is over playing his hand and this time he doesn’t appear to be getting as lucky.
You didn’t lose a draft pick for Type B players. Also, you could sign multiple FAs, yet still retain 1st round comp picks for players you lost. There were 60 1st round picks in ’12, and only 39 last year. Less picks means those picks are more valuable. Also, loss of slot money is a factor.
I know that. That’s why I said “Type A” “Type B” free agent period.
The slot money is a big red herring.
Its why it was listed last in my post.
The slot money is a big red herring.
Boras will soon be shouting collusion if his guys don’t get signed. MLB is a habitual offender in this regard so he might be right. Too many teams have done almost zip this offseason.
Impossible to prove collision on MLB’s part. Boras can say whatever he wants but he can’t prove it.Teams are getting smarter with their money and with mediocre players.
How would it be collusion if every team would individually have a viable excuse for not signing him? In fact, they’d have two: not wanting to give up a pick and also not wanting to meet Drew’s ridiculous demand for an opt-out clause.
If Drew gets a bad contract for this year, it’ll be Boras’s fault. He could’ve had the QO without doing any work.
If Drew isn’t willing to agree to sign for what he’s worth, how is that collusion?
The Yankees only lose a second rounder? Even after signing Ellsbury, Beltran and McCann, all of whom were tied to draft picks? Did they lose their compensation picks for Cano & Granderson, and their first rounder? Is that how this works? If the Yankees sign Drew, they’ll have signed five players who were offered a QO, plus Tanaka, in Tanaka, Kuroda, Drew, Ellsbury, McCann, and Beltran. That’s ridiculous, lol.
Yeah, they lost the 1st round and 2 supplementary’s
Yankees won’t be going after Drew, they’ll be going after A Diaz from Cuba.
Diaz only 23, he’s more of a long-term plan. Signing Drew would be because someone came up lame at the start of ST. Say Jeter’s going to miss few months or worse, Diaz does you no good. They may go after Drew on short contract.
Diaz apparently is better suited to 2B, his defense at SS is lacking supposedly
I doubt that Díaz cuts it as a Major League-caliber hitter.
The only one saying talks have been ongoing between the Mets and Drew is Scott Boras and that is only an attempt to drive up the price.
It just makes too much sense…