Matthew Cerrone

Note: Mets and OP Still Negotiating
By Matthew Cerrone - Feb 15, 2008 8:01 am

According to John Delcos in the Journal News, “The Mets keep talking with agent Scott Boras in the hope of avoiding arbitration with left-hander Oliver Perez by signing him to a long-term contract.”

In the report, Delcos talks with Perez, as well as Mets Ass’t GM John Ricco, about the discussions.

Perez is seeking $6.5 million for this coming season, his final year before becoming a free agent.  However, the Mets have countered with a $4.7 million offer.  Therefore, the two sides are scheduled for an arbitration hearing on Feb. 21.

of course, while the Mets logically push for a long-term deal, which could cover this season, plus a few years in to free agency, there is still time for the two sides to meet in the middle before the hearing in late February

35 Responses to “Note: Mets and OP Still Negotiating”

  1. gowrightgo says:

    I wonder if he would bite on a 3yr $39M deal. I think it is a big number but if I were Boras and with the uncertainty about Perez’s performance….I think he would have to consider it.

  2. cver says:

    That’s a pretty big number. I wonder if you have the right idea or if the Mets are gonna think of investing that much (which I’m not sure if they are or not), maybe they could get a 4 year 40 million or 5 year 50 million deal. It’s a matter of whether the Mets and Perez are more concerned about years or guaranteed money. Of course, there is also the option route for a fourth or fifth year with a vest and/or buyout - and it’s Boras - post-Arod “debacle”, so many eyes will be watching how he handles this.

  3. rosemarymets says:

    If we sign Ollie for a few years our starting pitching will be awesome for a while….but i dont think boras will go for it….he wants to make up for arod dissing him….i love ollies personality out there….

  4. absentminded says:

    it figures that the the first arbitration in 16 years for the Mets is a Scott Boras client. >.<

  5. SamInNorthCakalakey says:

    Yeah, it’s be nice to know what the numbers being thrown around really are. Knowing Boras they’re probably ridiculous, so 3 yrs/$39 mil is probably not far off but more likely he’s seeking 5 yrs/$50-55 mil.

    • MSUMet85 says:

      I think it is more realistic going with 5/60-65mil, considering that Meche got 11 mil per year I doubt that we can get away with 10

      • NBH says:

        If Silva got $11mil+ per year for 4 years, Ollie will expect at least 4 years $52mil. Minimum. I can see him/Boras wanting 5 years because he’s still so young and technically in or near his prime. This all assumes he puts up his same year (15-10, ERA in the mid 3s). I think it’s risky for Boras not to negotiate long term here and now. Putting the injury risk aside, Ollie is very inconsistent. His 2006 season was one of the worst in MLB. There’s no reason to assume he’s going to go 15-10 again (although I have faith in him). And the amount of unearned runs he gave up last year was abysmal…they don’t really count against his stats, but those big meltdown innings after an error or two in the field really blew open some games well before the 5th inning.

  6. Jaded1983 says:

    I believe Ollie and the Mets will certainly come to terms pre-hearing. and then i am very willing to bet that they either sign him long term or he stays a met after this season ends. A very young rotation with Santana, Maine, Perez, and hopefully Pelfrey, along with hopefully a few more years of Pedro would be absolutely excellent!

    There are a lot of “ifs,” such as if Maine and Perez can repeat last season (which i think they definitely can), Pedro stay healthy (again im positive here), and pelfrey coming into his own (im really hoping so! i love home grown talent). but this stuff is what makes the game fun and why i love this team.

    Lets Go Mets!

  7. nickycuz says:

    if its boras its the ball park of 6 years 80 mil contract….ollie should take the kevin appier contact of 4 years 44 mil which i deem fair and when he gets out of the contract he will be fairly young and if he performs well he should get a raise

    • Agee's Catch says:

      Ollie may be one of the few good free agents to hit the market. if Silva can get good money, Ollie can also. I would expect the yearly average to be a bit higher. 4/50 is in the ballpark

  8. Agee's Catch says:

    I’d let him walk & take the draft picks. In a perfect world, Duque takes a vacation in May/June, Pelfrey is lights out, and we can move Ollie to the AL for a good corner OF

    • cver says:

      Hey AC, how ya doin, man?!! Good to see you on here! That is an awfully perfect world you are talking about where we can afford to trade away Perez in the middle of a pennant race with potential playoff implications.

    • darkstar73 says:

      yeah, are you joking? Trade away one of our pitchers in the middle of a pennant race? You just don’t do that, not sure why you would, or why anyone for that matter would even give up anything of value for a Ollie and a couple months of him. if he’s going to free agency, he’s going to free agency, it doesn’t matter what team he’s on. Trading him away must be a joke right?

  9. zen says:

    ollie:

    2005: 7-5 5.85era
    2006: 3-13 6.55era
    2007: 15-10 3.56era

    interesting chance to take going into the season w/o signing an extension. there may be no player on the market next year who risks more money or who may gain more from 1 season.

    i’d sign if the mets make a good extension offer: 4years $48m. anything less would be silly to sign.

    • krumbledkookie says:

      You should probably also mention the season he had in 2004.

      12-10, 2.98 ERA, 239 K’s in 196 innings.

      It won’t figure much into the contract he gets, but it lets all sides know what he is capable of. 12 wins for that awful Pirates team was excellent, and honeslty, I don’t even think he maxed out on what he can accomplish last year.

      I’d offer him 4 or 5 years, 12-13 per. I think it will definitely pay off.

      • zen says:

        true, true. though i also left out 2002 and 2003 when he was terrible. i’d take him for the contract you offered

  10. CaseStreet says:

    Can we start a chant? “Si-gn Perez”

    • Xavier22 says:

      More like

      Who do we want?
      Perez!

      When do we want him?
      As soon as we’re sure he’s gonna put up similar numbers to what he did last year and his agent won’t ask for a ridculous contract although as he’s $cott Bora$ we’re fairly certain he will!

  11. stickguy says:

    I would love to know if Boras at least made a proposal.

    We all speculate that he wants the moon to give up going to FA, but did he even define what the moon is?

    I think the Mets would have to bite on something in the 3/39 or 4/48 range. A lot, and a risk, but unfortuneatly that is just the going rate for a pitcher these days.

    besides, they will always be able to trade him. Nothing fascinates a GMmore than a talented lefty with great stuff that just needs to put it all together!

    And someone explain to my why it is accepted that Lefties take longer to develop? Because they are all head cases?

  12. QnsNative718 says:

    This is off topic but I would prefer “An-na Ben-son” if and when Kris Benson comes to Shea…

    • Another Matt says:

      BTW, is anyone else really looking forward to the possibility of a John Maine vs. Kris Benson ‘duel’?

  13. Joe Bacci says:

    Lock him in, i love this team and would love to see the same guys year in and year out. Add him to the core!!!

  14. If kyle Loshe demands 10 mill a year, Perez could demand 17. We should offer him a tree year 31 mill offer.

    • krumbledkookie says:

      The thing is though, no one has yet to bite on Lohse’s demand for $10 million per year. Santana got his deal weeks ago, and still he has yet to sign.

  15. therealsince86 says:

    I think I mentioned this idea the other day but.
    He wants 6. 5 million this season. Give him 6 million plus a 3 million dollar bonus for signing. Then give him 12 a year for 3 years. That’s 4/45 and should be a respectable contract. If he wants more than that then he will have to prove he is worth it this season.

    • Jaded1983 says:

      i get the feeling that “perez wanting more,” really isnt him, but rather boras.

      maybe its just media spin, but every quote ollie gives on the subject he says the contract isnt on his mind, but rather the season. i have always gotten this impression (obviously just my opinion) that boras bullies his clients into doing whatever will give him the bigger commission check. the biggest contract doesnt have the players best interest in mind.

  16. AzMetsFan says:

    One would think that pitching along side Pedro and Johan has got to be some serious perks for Ollie and would make him want to stay here in NY, even at a discount. He should sign a 3 yr contract, learn from Johan and Pedro over that time and cash in at the end of that contract after hopefully earning a cy young and ws ring for the Mets.

  17. nagel100 says:

    Perez will wind up on the west coast next year. Get the draft pick.

    I see Pedro getting signed to a new 2 year deal and Pelfrey being a key guy at #4 next year.

    mets can find a 5th starter in free agency.

    I’d like to put the money into Tex as our #1 option replacing Del Gado.

  18. Kalihan42 says:

    Hmmmmmm….the prospect of having Perez pitch a contract year without a contract is appealing….but also locking him up before he gets any better seems wise. The problem i we extend him three and he sucks like he did the year he was shipped back to the minors by the Pirates…. again, hmmmmmm

    • krumbledkookie says:

      That assumes that Ollie doesn’t really care about the team, that he’s not a competitor… which I think couldn’t be further from the truth.

      • Kalihan42 says:

        I am not saying he does not care about the team or is not a team player but money must be a significant motivator in his life, or he would not have Boras as an agent. Besides you can not deny that people tend to have good performance years in their walk year.

  19. elan martinez says:

    i dont understand how most of yous think the mets should comment to perez…remember we are talking about a kid who three years back was in the minors because of his inability to be consistent with his delivery … the main word people CONSISTENT. For him to even think he is worth 6.5mil , somebody please hit him in the head with a fastball…. not only did the mets SAVE him from the black hole he put him self in but they also took the time to help him with his delivery… i didnt see this one coming. LET THE PUCK GO….. let him be a CAL PAVANO to some other team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!