As expected Lucas Duda and the Mets have agreed to put off talks about a contract extension, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.
Both sides had previously agreed on an Opening Day deadline from the onset.
“No agreement was reached, so talks have concluded and Lucas will focus on the upcoming season,” agent Dan Horwits said Sunday.
April 2
According to general manager Sandy Alderson, negotiations on an extension deal with first baseman Lucas Duda are still ongoing. But one way or the other, the two sides will cease negotiations on Monday, Opening Day. (Adam Rubin)
Duda set Monday as the deadline for negotiations because he does not want any distractions once the season began. He made that very clear from the onset.
March 30
Joel Sherman of the NY Post reported today that the Mets are in conversation with first basemen Lucas Duda on a contract extension. Duda described it as “preliminary talks” and it was also noted that there would be no negotiations after Opening Day.
The 29-year old had a breakout year in 2014, hitting 30 home runs and producing 92 runs-batted-in. He is due to make $4.2 million in 2015 through arbitration and is under team control through 2017.
Sherman points out Duda’s struggles against lefthanded pitching and the question of whether Duda can repeat his performance in 2014.
When he asked general manager Sandy Alderson if he thought what Duda did last season was aberrational or could be duplicated, he replied, “Good question.”
We will continue to monitor this news and update this post with any additional details.
