Latest On Mets, R.A. Dickey
Late last night the Mets agreed to terms with David Wright on a contract that’s worth $138MM over eight years. Next up is R.A. Dickey, the defending NL Cy Young Award winner. Here's the latest:
- The sides had dialogue today and the Mets are willing to improve their offer, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). However, the sides aren't close to a deal.
- Talks "could heat up really soon" a team insider told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
- Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com hears that Dickey will accept a two-year contract that would presumably begin after 2013 (Twitter links). Now, Rubin writes, it’s just a question of agreeing on an appropriate annual salary. Mets people seem confident they’ll complete a deal with Dickey, according to Rubin.
- Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog hears the Mets could lock Dickey up for three years and approximately $25MM. That they haven't done so might mean they're still listening to trade offers.
- Dickey would meet with the Mets at the Winter Meetings in Nashville if necessary, but the sides don't have plans for a meeting, Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal reports (on Twitter).
- The Mets made Dickey a two-year offer approximately one month ago, Andy Martino of The New York Daily News reported. ESPN's Buster Olney has reported that the knuckleballer seeks at least $10MM per season. The Mets have considered trading Dickey, and clubs such as the Royals have inquired about potential deals. Dickey will earn $5MM in 2013 on his current contract, which expires following the '13 season.
Mets Notes: Pagan, Flores, Wright
The latest on the Mets, who have agreed to terms with David Wright on a long-term deal and are considering an extension for R.A. Dickey…
- A Mets insider told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that the team will likely spend on one outfielder. It’s even too early to rule out a return for Angel Pagan, not that a reunion seems likely. Ryan Ludwick and Cody Ross are among the right-handed hitting free agent outfielders who could draw interest from the Mets, Rubin writes.
- The Mets have also made a list of backup catchers they might target, according to Rubin. Nationals catcher Jesus Flores, a non-tender candidate with a projected salary of $1.2MM, is among the catchers on the team’s list.
- The Mets will likely address their needs via free agency, team insiders told Rubin.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post heard that it was “vital” that Wright’s contract with the Mets surpass Johan Santana’s $137.5MM contract in terms of total value (Twitter link). Wright's eight-year deal will pay him $138MM in total.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs applauds the Mets for not giving up on the team in the short term.
NL East Notes: Wright, Upton, Raburn, Lannan
Zack Greinke turned down a potential trade to the Nationals two years ago when he was a member of the Royals, but now that the Nats are the defending NL East champs and have added Denard Span as their latest upgrade, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal thinks that Greinke (or any free agent) would see Washington as a prime destination. The Nationals have been mentioned as one of Greinke's top suitors this winter, along with the Dodgers, Angels and Rangers, so there's a possibility the right-hander could yet end up in D.C. two years later.
Here are some items from around the division…
- David Wright may wait under after the Winter Meetings to decide on the Mets' seven-year, $124MM extension offer, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post. A Mets source speculates that Wright and his representatives may wait due to their unhappiness that negotiations were made public. Wright and agent Seth Levinson told MLBTR earlier this week that rumors about the contract talks were inaccurate.
- The Phillies' best offer to B.J. Upton was a five-year, $55MM contract, tweets MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Upton agreed to a five-year, $75.25MM pact with the Braves yesterday.
- The Braves and Marlins are two of a half-dozen teams interested in free agent utilityman Ryan Raburn, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark (Twitter link). The Rays and Rangers are two of the other known teams.
- The Nationals still have a minor league option remaining on left-hander John Lannan, reports Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider. Washington could keep Lannan at Triple-A as rotation insurance again, though MLBTR's Tim Dierkes thinks Lannan will be non-tendered rather than earn a projected $5MM in his third year of arbitration eligibility.
- Shane Victorino "might actually represent the best value on the market," writes David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News, though Murphy doesn't think the Phillies will look for a reunion with their former outfielder. The Phils haven't been linked to Victorino this offseason, though at least seven teams are known to be interested in the Hawaiian.
Royals, Mets Discussed R.A. Dickey
The Royals have talked to the Mets about R.A. Dickey as they continue to search for a top-of-the-rotation starter, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reported this week that the Royals have had discussions about trading Wil Myers for Jon Lester or James Shields.
The Royals aren’t looking to trade Myers and have no interest in moving Salvador Perez, Heyman writes. Alex Gordon and Billy Butler are close to untouchable and the Royals aren’t inclined to trading Alcides Escobar, either. Instead, the Royals would prefer to send the Mets younger prospects in a deal for Dickey.
If the Royals were to acquire Dickey, the 2012 NL Cy Young winner, he’d join Jeremy Guthrie, Ervin Santana and others in Kansas City.
"Our rotation is going to better, but we're still looking for the opportunity to improve on what we've done,'' Royals GM Dayton Moore told Heyman.
The Royals seem interested in trading Luke Hochevar and Bruce Chen. Doing so might free up salary for Moore, who now has up to $6MM to spend, according to Heyman.
The Mets have explored the possibility of a contract extension with Dickey, who will earn $5MM in 2013 before hitting free agency. If they trade the knuckleballer, they’d prefer a catcher and outfield help.
Olney On Upton, Pettitte, Wright
The center field market will be shaped in part by B.J. Upton’s deal with Atlanta, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney wrote today. Here are more notes from Olney’s column, starting with Upton…
- The Braves signed Upton to a franchise record five-year, $75.25MM contract despite some warning signs that other organizations had identified, Olney writes. Upton has a declining on-base percentage and a bat that can be inconsistent. However, one of Olney's sources praised the deal. "He is the most talented player in the free agent market and somebody I think will age well," the person said.
- The conversations about a 2013 contract between the Yankees and Andy Pettitte started at the GM Meetings earlier this month, agent Jim Murray told Olney. “We worked on it between then and now, talking fairly frequently," Murray said. Pettitte signed a one-year, $12MM contract yesterday.
- Agents and executives agree that David Wright will take the Mets’ extension offer, Olney reports. It would be difficult to decline such a proposal, since there’s no guarantee he’d have similar long-term offers a year from now. MLBTR rounded up the latest on Wright earlier today. It appears the Mets have offered him $124MM for seven seasons starting in 2014.
Latest On Mets, David Wright
The Mets have made David Wright a nine-figure offer that would keep him in New York long term. Some of the details of the offer remained unclear earlier this week, prompting Wright to explain to MLBTR that he was frustrated by some published inaccuracies. However, he repeated his interest in staying with the organization long-term. "I have said from Day 1 that I want to play my entire career with the New York Mets. I remain hopeful that goal can be achieved,” Wright said. Here’s the latest on his contract talks with the Mets…
- The Mets believe they’ve made Wright their best offer, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports. The team offered Wright a seven-year extension that would begin after the 2013 season, Martino reports. The deal would include $124MM in new money and be worth $140MM including Wright’s 2013 salary of $16MM. Now the Mets are awaiting Wright’s response. Around baseball there’s an expectation that the sides will reach an agreement, Martino writes. The Mets’ offer is backloaded with a structure similar to the one Jose Reyes and the Marlins agreed to last winter, according to the Daily News.
Quick Hits: Liriano, Napoli, Wright, Royals
The Twins have had conversations with Francisco Liriano's representatives, a source with knowledge of the talks tells LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune. The two sides are expected to meet next week during the winter meetings but General Manager Terry Ryan is keeping mum on potential targets for the club. Here's more Tuesday night linkage..
- The Rangers did not meet with Mike Napoli today, despite previous reports to the contrary, according to Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram. However, the club is set to meet with the catcher tomorrow. Earlier today it was reported that Napoli appears to be the Red Sox's top free agent target.
- Ken Davidoff of the New York Post (Twitter links) reached out to David Wright after his comments earlier tonight to MLBTradeRumors. The third baseman indicated that he was displeased with the public nature of his contract negotiations. "I wish I could elaborate but it was important to me from the very beginning that these negotiations remain confidential and private. I plan on sticking to that. Sorry I can't comment any further," said Wright.
- The Royals have discussed Wil Myers in trades for Rays right-hander James Shields and Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out that the two hurlers aren't exactly equal. The two are owed similar money through 2014 ($24.625MM for Lester and $21MM for Shields) but Shields has been much stronger in recent years.
NL East Notes: Ruiz, Phillies, Wright, Dickey
Earlier today, Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz was suspended for 25 games in a violation of the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. In a phone interview, General Manager Ruben Amaro said that he doesn't think that the suspension will prevent future negotiations on a contract extension, according to Matt Gelb and Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Amaro also said that the club may look at other catching options, but it won't be a frontline piece. We learned earlier tonight that the Phillies signed Humberto Quintero to a minor league pact, but the deal was apparently reached before the news on Ruiz was known. Here's more out of the NL East..
- A lucrative contract extension between the Mets and David Wright could come with significant deferrals, similar to previous deals for Johan Santana and Carlos Beltran, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Earlier tonight, Wright and agent Seth Levinson told MLBTR that they are dissatisfied with today's slew of reports on his negotiations.
- A Mets source told Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter links) that a contract extension for R.A. Dickey would "almost definitely" eliminate the possibility that he is traded this offseason. Dickey said in an interview this morning that talks are progressing between him and the club.
- Left-hander John Lannan is expected to be non-tendered by the Nationals and William Ladson of MLB.com (via Twitter) opines that he would be a solid fit for the Mets.
David Wright: Reports Are Inaccurate
Mets third baseman David Wright offered commentary on the slew of reports from earlier today regarding his rumored contract negotiations, telling MLBTR, "I have said from Day 1 that I want to play my entire career with the New York Mets. I remain hopeful that goal can be achieved. However, I am disappointed by the reports that I have read today which are inaccurate," said Wright.
Nothing is imminent, agent Seth Levinson explained to MLBTR: “Discussions with the Mets are ongoing. We don’t anticipate a deal any time soon. However, things can always change. I will not characterize the negotiations or comment on the accuracy or inaccuracy of what is being reported," Levinson said.
Wright finished out the 2012 season with a .306/.391/.492 batting line and 21 home runs in 670 plate appearances.
Mets Offered David Wright Contract
3:12pm: The Mets offered Wright $135-145MM over eight years, Rosenthal clarifies (Twitter links). That amount includes his $16MM salary for 2013. In other words, the Mets are offering $119-129MM in new money over a seven-year period, Rosenthal reports. It's important for Wright to surpass the $137.5MM obtained by Johan Santana, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports (on Twitter).
2:45pm: The seven-year offer is worth $135-140MM, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports.
2:25pm: The Mets are offering a seven-year deal worth between $125MM and $150MM, Rosenthal reports (on Twitter).
12:13pm: The Mets have made Wright multiple offers, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. One of the offers would add at least seven years to his existing contract with the Mets. "There are offers going back and forth," one person told Rubin. There's a chance the sides will complete a deal before the Winter Meetings. However, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com hears from a source who says it's "improbable" the sides will complete a deal this week (Twitter link).
10:19am: The Mets have made Wright a seven-year offer worth well in excess of $100MM, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports (on Twitter).
8:24am: The Mets offered David Wright a six-year, $100MM contract extension yesterday, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Wright prefers a deal of at least seven years, and he is expected to decline New York’s offer, according to Rosenthal.