Mets, Leiter talks at standstill

By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com

 

 

Al Leiter was 10-8 with a 3.21 ERA in 2004 with the Mets. (Francois Roy/AP)

 

 

 

NEW YORK -- Negotiations between the Mets and Al Leiter haven't broken down. Not yet anyway.

But they have stalled to a point where both sides will walk away from the bargaining table in an effort to explore other options. Leiter already has a $7 million offer from Florida that includes a spot in the Marlins television booth upon his retirement and has spoken to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. The Mets have offered the veteran southpaw a one-year deal in the $4 million range with incentives that could net him as much as an additional $4 million.

 

"I had a conversation with Al and his agent last night and we both decided to explore our options that are out there," Mets general manager Omar Minaya said. "We came to an agreement and we'll revisit [negotiations] after the holidays. We agree that we got to a point that there were options that Al wanted to explore and that we wanted to explore so let's look at those options and see where we are.

 

 

 

 

Complete coverage > "It's fair to say that we got to a point where we said the free agent season is in front of us. We've worked at this [with Leiter]. It started before I got here. Through the process we've talked to him about different contract proposals with the free agent market and the clubs that are available to him and all. We have options we want to review and Al has to review what's in his best interest."

 

Leiter's agent, Randy Hendricks, echoed Minaya's sentiments. He has been steadfast about negotiating in the media and wouldn't go that route on Tuesday.

 

"What Omar said is accurate," Hendricks said in an e-mail to MLB.com. "Namely that both sides will pursue other options available. That does not preclude Al from returning to the Mets. It just means we have agreed to step back from the negotiations and see where things lead for both sides."

 

The Mets signed Kris Benson on Monday to a deal that could net him $30 million over the next four years. Minaya said that he does not have a dollar amount targeted to spend on the final spot in New York's rotation, that at the end of the day, he "can spend whatever I want."

 

It's just that now, he may not want Leiter. He said he has spoken to Carl Pavano's agent Scott Shapiro and may try to line up a visit with the right-hander as he goes on his free-agent tour, which last week included a meeting with the Red Sox.

 

Minaya was quick to point out that filling out his rotation after signing Benson was "not the top priority", adding that he can always go with a Jae Seo or an Aaron Heilman in that spot.

 

Leiter, 39, is coming off a season in which his production declined though he did go 10-8 with a 3.21 ERA. He reached double digits in victories for the 10th consecutive year but the 10 wins were his lowest total since 1994. He also registered substantial drops in innings pitched (173 2/3, his fewest since 1997) and strikeouts (117, his fewest since 1994). The veteran left-hander also issued 97 walks, the most he has rung up in a decade.

 

In addition, Leiter averaged just over 5 2/3 innings per start, throwing an average of 108 pitches per outing. He completed seven innings in only eight of 30 starts and finished the year by going 1-3 with a 4.61 ERA in his last nine outings.

 

Leiter also landed on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis at the end of May, the second year in a row he missed time because of injuries. Still, his 95 victories in a Mets uniform leaves him sixth on the club's all-time list, three shy of Sid Fernandez and four shy of Ron Darling. Leiter has expressed a desire to win 100 games as a Met, something only Tom Seaver (198), Dwight Gooden (157) and Jerry Koosman (140) have accomplished.

 

 

 

 

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nym...s_nym&fext=.jsp

That's one down

:thumbup

Well thats good news :thumbup

Lots of good news on this front on the web this morning but the underlying tone seems to be his reluctance to move his family (kids in school) away from the metro NY area. As long as the Yankees are in the picture are odds of the Fish landing him are slim.

 

Hopefully the Marlins can find a solution and bring him here. If not perhaps they should begin looking elsewhere, namely Leiber.

Why don't we lower our offer? $6m guaranteed.

I agree with Marlins2003, from what i have read he really wants to stay in the New York, and I would be willing to bet that the Yankees are more than willing to offer more than 7 million to Leiter. I hope they have a back up plan that isn't Valdez to replace Leiter if we don't get him.

I agree with Marlins2003, from what i have read he really wants to stay in the New York, and I would be willing to bet that the Yankees are more than willing to offer more than 7 million to Leiter. I hope they have a back up plan that isn't Valdez to replace Leiter if we don't get him.

620982[/snapback]

 

I agree with the idea that he wants to try to stay in the north east if at all possible, but from everything I've heard, he's at best plan C for the Yankees, and it seems that his departure from the Mets is all but finalized.

 

We all know that the Yankees need starting pitching badly, but Leiter isn't a "huge" name compared to the guys that they're looking at (RJ, Pedro) nor is he young compared to guys they're looking at (Milton, Pavano) so according to the NY media, unless Steinbrenner throws a hissy fit about getting as many "big-game" lefties as possible, it's more likely to see a rotation without Leiter than with Leiter in the Bronx, especially if we offered $7 mil (which I humbly believe will be absolutely the most he will be guaranteed, anywhere), not to mention the broadcasting thing after next year.

 

I know this sounds stupid, but I think it comes down to if the Mets offer him arbitration. If they do, he's going to accept and milk at least $6 mil out of them, but the Mets know that and I think that's why he hasn't signed with us yet...we have a "handshake" agreement, and we're just waiting for the 8th of December so we don't have to give up our pick regardless...we're forcing the Mets hand.

leiter would not be a good fit for the yanks. they're staff is too old already.