MET NOTES
The Mets could benefit from a Mariners’ free-agent signing.
Seattle made the first offseason splash yesterday, inking LF Raul Ibanez to a three-year, $13.25 million deal. Now the Mariners have four outfielders: Ibanez, Ichiro Suzuki, Randy Winn and free-agent CF Mike Cameron. With Edgar Martinez entrenched at DH, and Ichiro and Ibanez safe, the Mets could wind up with either Cameron or Winn.
With Ibanez on board, the Mariners might not pay as much for Cameron, meaning the Mets could become his primary bidder. Even if the Mariners do sign Cameron, they’ll likely non-tender Winn, and the Mets could have their center-field answer.
Winn, 29, made $3.5 million in 2003 and could be due up to $5 million in arbitration, making him a potential Dec. 20 non-tender casualty. Winn’s agent, Adam Katz, said he hadn’t heard anything about Winn being non-tendered, though when asked about Ibanez’s signing, Katz said, “Obviously it crowds things up over there.”
Switch-hitting Winn would be a fine fit with the Mets, and they reportedly are interested. In 2003, he hit .295 with 11 homers and 75 RBIs, stealing 23 bases and scoring 103 runs. Winn’s career OBP is .343 (a bit low for a moderate-power threat) but he’s strong defensively and would give the Mets a speedy top of the order (with Jose Reyes).
Perhaps the Mets are getting excited about the chance of having Winn or Cameron in center. On their official Web site, a poll question asks, “Who will be the Mets’ center fielder in 2004?” The five choices are Timo Perez, Jeff Duncan, Other, Cameron and Winn. Keep in mind Winn is not a free agent.
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By saving money on two trades, the A’s appear to be positioning themselves to re-sign free-agent closer Keith Foulke. The Mets, meanwhile, are one of the teams that have expressed interest in free agent Ugueth Urbina.
“Ugueth would do great in New York,” said Chris Leible, an assistant for Peter Greenberg, Urbina’s agent. “He thrives in the atmosphere that we have here in the city.”
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The Mets have not met with Mike Piazza and his agent, Dan Lozano, who is traveling in South America . . . Former Mets OF Tsuyoshi Shinjo has signed to play in Japan.
