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AL East Notes: Haren, Johnson, Blue Jays

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On this date in 2007 the Red Sox signed free agent outfielder J.D. Drew to a five-year, $70MM contract. Though Drew hit .264/.370/.455 in Boston, he had trouble staying on the field and faced his share of scrutiny over the years. Here are today's AL East links, as Drew's younger brother Stephen prepares for his first season with the Red Sox…

Mets Anticipate Payroll Flexibility

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Mets chairman & CEO Fred Wilpon offered an optimistic vision of his team’s finances today, suggesting that payroll could soon rise well above $100MM (via Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com). Wilpon said he could see the Mets spending as much as they did under general manager Omar Minaya, who operated with a budget of $140MM-plus. The Mets will spend big in free agency next winter if that’s “appropriate,” according to Wilpon, who added that his past financial problems are behind him. 

Here are some more Mets-related notes…

  • GM Sandy Alderson said the Mets made a "strong effort" to sign free agent outfielder Michael Bourn, Rubin reports (on Twitter). Alderson said the Mets wouldn’t consider offering a vesting option for a fifth year, as the Indians ultimately did.
  • The Mets aren’t actively shopping for relief help, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports (on Twitter).
  • Wilpon doesn’t expect to address the contract status of manager Terry Collins until after the season, Rubin reports (on Twitter). Collins’ contract expires following the 2013 campaign. However, Wilpon strongly endorsed Collins and Alderson, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
  • Wilpon said he wasn’t going to lose David Wright if at all possible, Marc Carig of Newsday reports (Twitterlinks). "To me, he's our Jeter," Wilpon said, in reference to Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.
  • Wilpon noted that all surprise teams get great pitching and said he believes the Mets are in position to get that type of pitching, according to Carig.
  • The Mets say they are aiming to break even financially this season. Wilpon added that the team must be competitive on the field to accomplish that goal, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports (on Twitter).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

New York Notes: Yankees, Bourn, Santana

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Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters today that his team is capable of winning 95 games and the World Series. "If we play up to our capabilities, I believe we're a very good team," Girardi said (via Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News on Twitter). Here are some more links from New York as the Yankees and Mets begin Spring Training…

  • Girardi said one of his biggest Spring Training concerns is finding a right-handed designated hitter, Feinsand reports (on Twitter). Juan Rivera and Matt Diaz could provide offense from the right side to complement lefty bats such as Travis Hafner and Dan Johnson.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports expects Derek Jeter to be a valuable contributor for the Yankees in 2013, even if this is the year the Yankees falter as a team.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes the Mets' interest in Michael Bourn "was essentially an empty pursuit" since the team wasn't about to sign Bourn without assurances that they'd keep their 11th overall draft pick. The Mets never made a firm bid for Bourn, and their suggestions did not include options for 2017. Sherman reported last night that the Mets made Bourn a four-year offer before he agreed to terms with the Indians.
  • Johan Santana said he's not thinking about the trade deadline or free agency, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (on Twitter). The left-hander will earn $25.5MM in 2013 and his contract includes a $25MM club option for 2014. Presumably the Mets will choose the $5.5MM buyout over the option.

Reactions To The Michael Bourn Signing

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The Indians agreed to a four-year deal with Michael Bourn earlier tonight, presumably capping an offseason spending spree that saw GM Chris Antonetti dish out $117MM in guaranteed contracts. Here are some reactions from around the baseball world pertaining to tonight's news…

  • It doesn't sound like the signing will prompt the Indians to trade Drew Stubbs or Michael Brantley, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link).
  • In the event of a trade, Stubbs is the most likely to go, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, who notes that the Mets are a logical landing place.
  • Heyman also writes that the Mets' credibility took a hit with their inability to sign Bourn. He opines that the team should've have filed a grievance weeks ago to attempt to keep their first-round pick, even if it meant risking increased leverage for Scott Boras in negotiations.
  • The contract is good for both Bourn and the Indians in the mind of Fangraphs' Jeff Sullivan. He adds that Cleveland's protected first-round pick meant they were sacrificing less value to sign Bourn, as he cost them only a competitive balance draft pick. Because they didn't have to give up as much value as others would have to sign Bourn, they were willing to spend more on the contract itself.
  • It's a fair contract, and Bourn immediately becomes one of Cleveland's best players, but the move is still a head-scratcher according to ESPN's Keith Law. Law feels that Cleveland's pitching isn't improved enough to make them a .500 team, which makes all of this spending a curious decision unless it's with an eye toward stockpiling affordable talent for future trade assets.
  • Law also notes that the Royals are losers in this deal, as part of their rationale for parting with Wil Myers was that the weakness of the AL Central could make them Wild Card contenders: "…every move that Cleveland, Minnesota or the White Sox make to get better hurts the odds of Kansas City getting to the 88-win territory."

Mets Sign Brandon Lyon

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MONDAY: ESPN New York's Adam Rubin has the breakdown of Lyon's contract. He'll earn a $750K base salary, and his contract has incentives for appearances, games finished and time spent on the MLB roster.

Lyon will receive $100K for reaching 40, 45, 50 and 55 appearances. He'll receive $125K for reaching 60 and 65 appearances. He'll receive $50K for finishing 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 games. He will receive $100K for 1, 30, 60 and 90 days spent on the roster. Lastly, he'll receive $125K for 120 and 150 days on the roster.

All told, Lyon's contract could total $2.3MM if he hits each of his incentives. That seems unlikely, as he doesn't currently project as New York's closer.

FRIDAY: The Mets announced they have officially signed free agent right-hander Brandon Lyon to a one-year deal. Meister Sports Management represents Lyon, who will earn a base salary of between $750-$900K, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The total value of the deal will be worth $2.4MM if Lyon hits his incentive bonuses (Twitter links).

Lyon, 33, split the 2012 season between the Astros and Blue Jays. He posted a 3.10 ERA with 9.3 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 37.5% ground ball rate in 61 innings of relief work. The 11-year veteran averaged 90.2 mph with his fastball. Lyon earned $5.5MM in 2012, but the terms of his deal with the Mets are not yet known.

The Mets have added a number of relief pitchers on minor league deals this winter, as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows. Scott Atchison, Tim Byrdak, Pedro Feliciano and LaTroy Hawkins are also candidates for the New York bullpen. Frank Francisco is expected to close for the Mets (though be sure to follow @closernews in case anything changes).

Lyon drew interest from several teams before completing his deal with the Mets. The Giants had interest and the Blue Jays never ruled out a reunion.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the agreement (on Twitter) and Andy Martino of the New York Daily News first reported the sides agreed to a one-year deal (on Twitter). Steve Adams also contributed to this post.

Mets Made Four-Year Offer To Bourn

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News of Michael Bourn's four-year, $48MM deal with the Indians is still fresh in the air, but the Tribe wasn't the only team to extend him such an offer. Two sources have confirmed to Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Mets also made a four-year offer, which Sherman adds was also in the $48MM range but contained no options (Twitter links).

Of course, the Mets had far more hurdles to clear than just years and dollars. The team currently holds the No. 11 overall pick in this year's draft — the first pick that is unprotected from free agent compensation. General manager Sandy Alderson and his staff felt that because they finished with one of baseball's ten worst records, they were deserving of draft pick protection. However, the Pirates have a compensation pick due to their failure to sign No. 8 overall selection Mark Appel last season, which pushed the Mets out of the Top 10. The Mets were said to be pursuing an exception to the new CBA that would allow them to retain the No. 11 pick.

A Major League source told Sherman's colleague, Mike Puma, that the Mets were "definitely" Bourn's first choice, but the draft pick compensation issue would have taken two-to-three weeks to resolve. The two sides were down to small details such as the hotel rooms in which Bourn would stay on road trips, according to Puma (All links to Twitter).

Sherman adds that the Mets elected not to initiate the arbitration process to resolve the draft pick issue because they wanted a finalized agreement in place first. Having an agreement in place would keep agent Scott Boras from gaining extra leverage and drive up Bourn's price (Twitter links).

Ultimately, the allure of a fifth year and the certainty of Cleveland's offer looks to have enticed Bourn to pass up on his preference to play in the Big Apple.

Michael Bourn Rumors: Monday

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Could this be the week Michael Bourn signs? Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reported yesterday that the Mets remain hopeful that they can complete a deal with the free agent center fielder. However, it’s still too early to rule out teams such as the Rangers and Mariners. Here’s the latest on Bourn with the most recent updates up top:

  • MLB.com's Carrie Muskat says Bourn to the Cubs "isn't happening" (Twitter link).
  • The Cubs continue to be on the fringe of the Bourn talks, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). As Olney notes, the Cubs — unlike the Mets — already have a protected first-round pick, so Bourn would only cost them their second-round selection in this year's draft.

Earlier updates:

  • The Mets have a “decent” chance of winning the argument that their first round draft choice should be protected even if they sign Bourn, a source told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal notes that other clubs could be more interested than they’re letting on publicly. The Cubs, Indians, Rangers and Mariners are potential suitors for the Scott Boras client, Rosenthal writes.
  • MLBPA general counsel David Prouty said he has been in talks with MLB via the Mets regarding Bourn and the issue of draft pick compensation, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter). The Mets wish to sign Bourn without forfeiting the 11th overall pick. They could take the issue to an arbitration hearing, arguing that they deserve a protected pick for finishing with a bottom-ten record in 2012.
  • One person described talks between MLB and the MLBPA as "inquiring/position nature at this point in time,"Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports. Another person said the sides had engaged in superficial talks. It doesn't appear that substantive talks would take place unless the Mets sense a deal with Bourn is within reach.

Latest On Michael Bourn, Mets

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The Mets are still hopeful that they can sign Michael Bourn, but there are currently "no discussions" between the union and league about the draft pick issue, a source tells Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).  The union, not the club, would have to file a grievance in order for the Mets to retain their first round pick.

If the union does go ahead and file a grievance, then they and the league would go before an arbitrator.  The two sides could also settle in advance of said hearing, but nothing has been done to begin that process yet.  

Michael Bourn Rumors: Friday

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For the last few weeks many of the details related to Michael Bourn's free agency have remained unknown. Which teams are interested other than the Mets? Could the Mets sign Bourn without surrendering the 11th overall draft pick this June? Would they commit more than $40MM? What we do know is that the Mets are interested in signing Bourn to a multiyear deal and that they intend to keep their draft pick. Here are today’s Bourn-related rumors, with the most recent updates up top:

  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson stated in an online chat with fans that the Mets would like to sign Bourn. “For us, he would be a very nice fit,” Alderson said. “I think we’re still in the mix, but I couldn’t really predict anything at this point” (video link with text via Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog.com).
  • Cerrone hears from people connected to the team that the Mets are thinking three years and around $40MM for Bourn. Agent Scott Boras is still seeking at least four years and $15MM per season, according to Cerrone.

Michael Bourn Rumors: Thursday

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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.
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