According to a text message from SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt, Mets GM Omar Minaya told reporters that he is no longer trying to negotiate a long-term contract 
extension with Oliver Perez.
Instead, the Mets and Perez’s agent, Scott Boras, are simply trying to settle on a one-year contract for this season, after which Perez is eligible to be a free-agent.
Multiple reports from the last week have suggested that Boras has every intention of getting Perez to free agency, regardless of any previous attempts by the Mets to sign him long-term.
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 $4.7 million offer. Therefore, the two sides are scheduled for an arbitration hearing on Feb. 21.
In addition to airing a one-on-one interview with Johan Santana, Burkhardt will show clips from Minaya’s talk with reporters during tonight’s edition of SportsNite on 
.
{ 38 comments }
How great is this? We get minute-by-minute updates of arrivals, parking spots, the whole thing. IT IS SPRING, BABY!! Let’s play some ball! Thanks to Metsblog for not making us wait until the first exhibition game for our fix. Do you almost get the feeling that we’re there?
well, it didn’t hurt to try I suppose, but I think we all knew Boras would take Ollie to free agency, that’s just how it goes with him, especially just a year away from it. Nothing you can really do, we wouldn’t have wanted to sign him before last year cause he was still an unknown, and now we can’t because Boras wants the big bucks. I’m sure whatever he’s asking for at this point is just ridiculous as well. It might even work out for us given that Ollie will have additional incentive to stay focused and pitch well, and I’d say we have a pretty good chance to resign him once the year is over. We’ll have to shell out some money, but with the going price these days, we might as well.
I can’t stand scott boras. Perez should sign a four year extension with the mets. I can’t see the mets shelling out 13-15 million a year for four years for this guy. He is a good #3 pitcher, not an ace..thanks to the gil meches of the world thats the asking price for an above average starter…
Boras is the worst, he’ll probably have Opez sign a deal with Texas where he will rot away…
However, all that being said, i expect a big year from opez in the 4th spot in the rotation..
You can also thank Brian Sabean for falling for all that Bora$ baloney about Zito being the next Sandy Koufax. I’d love to see this blow up in Bora$’ face, but chances are it won’t and the Mets will either have to offer Perez something outrageous or see him pitching for the Yankees next year.
I totally agree with you.Boras is the devil!
I can’t stand Boras. I gotta say though, hes not in this business to make friends, hes in it to make money. That is exactly what hes good at. This should bolster our starting rotation because Oliver Perez will be posessed out there with his mind concentrating on the dollar signs. Seems like nobodies becomes somebody in their contract years.
It’s a risky move by Ollie, if he gets hurt (knock on wood) or has a down year he could regret not taking the guaranteed money. Maybe Santana can talk some sense into him.
On the other hand, you guys are right, he’ll be pitching his ass of this year to get that big payday.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. If either of those things happens to Perez, Boras may have done a lot more harm than good. When are players going to take a stand against this guy, if for no other reason than because he’s destroying baseball?
They’ll take a stand against him when he stops making money for them.
Chien Ming Wang just lost his arbitration case, and he was only asking for about $4.6 mil – he was awarded $4 mil by an arbitrator. I can’t imagine Perez getting much more than Wang – as such, I would be shocked to see him win the case if it goes to a hearing.
From an arbiter’s point of view, that is not really how it works. They will certainly meet somewhere down the middle. If He is asking for 6.5, and the Mets are at 4.7, his hearing should probably end up in the 5 million dollar range. It has less to do with the talent/or rotation position, than it has to do with finding a middle ground between what both parties are seeking.
5.3 or 5.4 is just my guess.
Than why was Wang awarded the Yankees’ initial offer of $4 when he was asking $4.6? Shouldn’t they have met in the middle at $4.3?
the amount of money has to do with service time and performance. Ollie’s in his last year of arbitration, while Wang only has 3 years of service. Whether or not they meet in the middle or what they agree to in the end is determined by agents and the teams, and of course the arbitrator if need be.
If the MLB arbitration rules are anything like the NHL’s, then the arbitrator isn’t even allowed to consider what rewards other players received. If that’s the case, Wang’s reward would have no bearing on Ollie’s.
And Darkstar his the nail on the head… Service time is the key here.
I for one still dont believe the case is going to arbitration. The closer it go’s to arbitration the greater the chance of a long term contract extension. However if the slim chance that arbitration arises, and Im repulsed by yankee anything, lets hope for the same arbitrator who arbitrated the Wang/Yankee salary……
if it goes to a hearing the arbiter HAS to pick one figure or the other, no meeting in the middle unless both parties negotiate it before the hearing. That’s why Wang got 4.0, not some middle ground or the 4.6, because he lost the hearing.
Yeah, I just checked, and you’re absolutely correct GDH. It’s one figure or the other, no compromise.
From an arbiter’s point of view, that is not really how it works. They will certainly meet somewhere down the middle. If He is asking for 6.5, and the Mets are at 4.7, his hearing should probably end up in the 5 million dollar range. It has less to do with the talent/or rotation position, than it has to do with finding a middle ground between what both parties are seeking.
5.3 or 5.4 is just my guess.
Actually I believe once a case goes to arbitration it gets decided for one side or the other. Meaning you post what you think the player is worth from both parties and one wins and the other loses. So he will get what he is asking for or the Mets will pay what they saw fit. The arbitrator doesnt find middle ground rather he/she picks a winner. It would be up to Perez and the Mets to find a happy medium before arbitration. I think this is the case. Pretty sure.
Yeah, that’s what I thought. Which is why I feel that Wang losing his case yesterday and only being awarded $4 mil is bad sign for Oliver.
That is only if they resolve OUTSIDE of arbitration
i wonder what kind of good will 6.5 (or 6, whatever) million now would generate to help with resigning him after the season. 2 million for this franchise should mean close to nothing. but i guess with boras its probably pointless. oh well, ollie has earned his shot at FA. hopefully he contract year mentality helps us get a ring this year.
you guys are morons — there is no middle ground in arbitration — ollie either gets awarded 6.5 mil, or the 4.725 figure the mets have submitted. i love how you people speak on this like you have any clue what you’re talking about. learn about baseball before you go posting inaccurate bs for other people to read
I was just going to post the same thing. I think it certainly favors the Mets here, precisely because of what Wang just received.
While I just posted the same response in theory you didnt need to get so angry and rude about it. Just correct the poster like I did. You are right. The arbitrator picks one winner and not middle ground, however the “moron” talk is really uneccessary.
rawr. someones feeling feisty.
relax, tits.
I have to agree with everyone here. It is possible he was confused with the pre-arbitration process. There is absolutely no need for the name calling, and frankly, it’s in poor taste. Please refrain from that kind of banter. A lot of people come to this forum to learn about current Mets-related news, not to be insulted.
However, Buckner is right, the arbitration process in the end of the line, and only one party wins. Held similarly to a trial, this aspect is handled by a third unbiased party who ultimately decides the player’s upcoming salary.
Since Wang did not succeed, it is unlikely that Oliver will also. What interests me is the amount that the Yankees and Wang were differing. 600k, that hardly seems like an amount that is non-negotiable.
I wonder if the discrepancy between Boras/OP and the Mets Organization will leave a bitter taste in OP’s mouth. Thus, affecting his willing-ness to sign next season. Ultimately, I don’t think that particular aspect will play that much of a role. Money talks.
I wouldn’t expect it to leave a bitter taste in OP’s mouth. I think most athletes understand how the arbitration process works, and that a team, even if they love you, is going to do what they can to save cash.
Sean Avery’s case with the Rangers comes to mind. The Rangers went as far as saying that Avery was “often a detriment to the team” despite the fact that he wasn’t, and essentially turned their season around. Throughout the process, Avery said he thought the Ranger’s approach was juvenile and unjust, but in the end he acknowledged that it was just business, and that he harbored no ill will.
Hey yoyo, if i may, next time don’t forget the ‘ when suggesting multiple moran’s in the room, because in theory you become a member of the group you classified.
Screw Boras. This makes me question Perez’s greediness over his desire to be a met. Anyone with Boras as an agent makes me a bit skeptical. That being said I think this might be a wise gamble for him money wise. If he has a star year pitching beside Santana and Pedro he could cash in even bigger than an extension now. Still, if he gets hurt this year he yeear or slides back to his performance with the pirates a couple years a go, he is going to be regreting not re-signing now.
this is business pure and simple. it’s not high school baseball. Perez should try to get as much as he can and he hired Boras to do just that.
Boras will take him to free agency and I for one will be happy to get a solid year out of perez who I see as our #4 starter. I’ll take the 2 draft picks we get next year and put the 13-14 million he would command ( assuming a good year) and put it into someone else who hits the market. i am sure Mets will re-sign pedro ( also assuming a solid year) and Pelfrey will take a rotation spot.
I see Perez on the west coast.
I fully agree.
He wants to be in SD?, let an arbitrator decide this then let him go. Don’t try so hard to sign him.
Let him go and try and sign C.C.
A solid response from Nagel, I like the fire. The only question I have would be Perez considered one of Omar’s best trade acquisitions, do you think Omar would let him go for draft picks?
1,Maybe,Omar takes a shot at a World Series title this year and takes the lousy 09 draft picks.
2,Maybe, with the Johan trade out of the way, the focus and threat of pending arbitration for Perez gets settled by long term extension before hearing.
3,Maybe Omar signs a free agent in Losh now for 2 years, and trades Perez at the deadline to a team willing to make an extension offer Perez cant refuse.
I’m happy to read must fans agree that this guy is crazy with his demand. but with BORAS , the man aims for the sky….. and thats what his paid to do , so with that said , i hope u enjoyed your time with the mets and i NEW YORK CITY… ain’t no other city like it….so if you leave next year ….. my GOD be on your side cause your not getting better than this…. I still think your a punk for letting it get to this point..good riddance MR.CONSISTENT……
Lay off Ollie. He is a Brave killer and we need him. You dont know what you are talking about.
I hope Ollie uses Mike Hampton’s career as a guide of what to do in the offseason. Not saying that he’d be heatlhy if he stayed with us, but he also wouldn’t have that Coors ERA bloating his numbers. If not for Peterson, Ollie owuld be washing cars or mowing lawns by now. I hope he remembers that he was a throw in and not a cornerstone when signing time comes…
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