PEREZ: Time to give ultimatum.
GM Omar Minaya puts the odds at 50/50 of the Mets re-signing Oliver Perez, this despite no other team linked to the erratic left-hander.
What we can expect from the Scott Boras client is to drag out the negotiations in the hope of driving up the price. Long and painful, just the way it is when the tge The Mets displayed patience last year and Johan Santana came back to them. And, because the Mets controlled the closer market, they were able to get Francisco Rodriguez on their terms.
It won’t be that easy with Perez. If Minaya’s odds are accurate, the Mets need to go in another direction, and right now, needing a left-hander, that means Randy Wolf.
Wolf, the former Phillie, has nibbles from Baltimore, Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco. At $3.7 million last year with a 12-12 record, somebody will snap him up.
If you’re think 12-12 is no great shakes, remember Perez, for all his stuff, is 55-60 lifetime.
The Mets should pursue Wolf hard and make sure Perez understands that situation. I’d give Perez my best offer now and tell him the clock is ticking with a deadline. After the deadline, the offer is off the table and could go down.
Should the Mets sign both? Why not? They have two spots to fill and Jon Niese is no guarantee.
