A source told Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York that the Yankees still aren’t interested in free agent Stephen Drew despite the Derek Jeter announcement. Marchand added that it didn’t sound as if the Yanks were going to change their minds, either.
This really doesn’t change anything for the Mets.
Sandy Alderson said on Thursday, that he was unlikely to make any major free-agent signings before Opening Day. It was the third time in two weeks that Alderson has said this to reporters, so I’d take him at face value.
Additionally, he has repeatedly downplayed the rumors they were close to signing Drew, who turned down an one-year $14.1 million deal from Boston and would cost the Mets a third rounder.
The Mets GM also said yesterday, that he has very little room left in his payroll budget which he estimated to be somewhere between $85 to $88 million.
“We are within the small margin of where we are going to be I think, and we are ready to go.”
During an interview on WFAN, Alderson did say he could sign Drew, but only under the right circumstances, but that he would not sign any player for $15 million at this stage of the game.
Unless Drew and Scott Boras can come down to a one year offer for $7-8 million, I don’t see the Mets committing to much more than that. If Drew wants a multi-year deal, he isn’t getting one from the Mets.
