Mets Want K-Rod
Everyone knows the New York Mets need a closer, so general manager Omar Minaya is keeping his options open.
Just one more way of playing the odds here in Vegas.
Eager to shore up their inadequate bullpen, the Mets started pursuing free-agent relievers as soon as they showed up at the winter meetings. Team executives had dinner at a steakhouse Sunday night with Francisco Rodriguez, then New York met Monday with Brian Fuentes.
A meeting Monday night with career saves leader Trevor Hoffman also was possible, Minaya said, but nothing was set up with Kerry Wood or his representatives.
The Mets might be interested in Hoffman for an eighth-inning setup role.
“The last 24 hours have been busy,” Minaya said Monday in a Bellagio suite. “We have put some offers out there.”
take care of their most glaring need and allow them to focus on finding a starting pitcher.
New York’s horrendous bullpen was a big reason the team collapsed in September for the second consecutive year, and All-Star reliever Billy Wagner is expected to miss next season following elbow ligament replacement surgery.
Rodriguez, who set a major league record with 62 saves this year for the Los Angeles Angels, is seeking a five-year contract worth about $75 million, but it would be surprising if he received a deal that large.
“I think you have a pretty good idea what it’s going to take to get deals done,” Minaya said. “We’ve been patient up until now and we’re going to continue to be patient. There are other options out there.”
Minaya wouldn’t reveal if he prefers one available closer to another, but said the team already has viewed medical records for certain players.
“We cleared that hurdle,” he said.
Still, Minaya insisted he’s in no rush to complete a deal this week.
“We want to have a closer by opening day,” he said. “What you don’t want to do is feel like you have to do something.”
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Posted: 12/8/08 12:35 AM ET
