from newsday.com
The Mets strongly believe that Pedro Martinez's signing will attract bigger names to Shea Stadium, and they are thinking about setting their sights as high as they can go.
According to several people familiar with the team's thinking, the Mets have been discussing a plan to pursue 27-year-old centerfielder Carlos Beltran, the crown jewel of the free-agent class.
Beltran is expected to make a decision early next month. His agent, Scott Boras, is looking for a 10-year deal worth $200 million.
Teams had been hoping to land Beltran with a contract close to the five-year, $70-million contract signed by Vladimir Guerrero last year. However, with the market heating up in recent days, as evidenced by Adrian Beltre's five-year, $64-million deal with Seattle, it is reasonable to believe Beltran's deal will easily top $100 million.
The Mets are thinking about laying low in the coming weeks to let the market for Beltran develop, and if his price stays within reach, they hope they can jump in near the end and grab him.
The Yankees and Astros are viewed as the leading contenders to sign Beltran. However, the Mets hope their signing of Martinez could influence Beltran.
The Mets have been pursuing free-agent first baseman Carlos Delgado, but they currently appear to be hesitant to raise their offer from three years to four. Their reluctance to do so might be related to their pursuit of Beltran.
Delgado figures to be in the market for a deal similar to the four-year, $50-million contract first baseman Richie Sexson signed with the Mariners. Because Seattle also signed Beltre yesterday, the Mariners could drop out of the Delgado chase, leaving only the Mets and Baltimore Orioles.
The Mets are attracted to the power Delgado brings from the left side, especially given that an internal study recently showed that more home runs hit at Shea leave the ballpark in right-center than in any other area. But Delgado is a mediocre defensive first baseman with limited range, making the Mets wonder what the 32-year-old will look like in the field during the fourth year of his deal.
There are no such questions about Beltran's ability, only conjecture about how much money he will get and whether he would choose to go to the Mets.
"Everything is a possibility," one high-ranking Mets official insisted yesterday.
Beltran repeatedly has said he would like to play for the Yankees, and general manager Brian Cashman has been in contact with Boras. But Beltran also has told friends how much he enjoyed playing for Houston last season, and the Astros have been aggressively trying to re-sign him.
The Cubs are expected to express interest in Beltran, particularly if they are able to trade Sammy Sosa soon, and the Tigers also have interest.
At yesterday's news conference announcing Martinez's four-year, $53-million deal, Mets general manager Omar Minaya said several "big-name" free agents and players on other teams already have called him expressing interest in coming to Shea.
Martinez also said he will do as much as he can to recruit free agents to the Mets. "Without a doubt I'm going to do it," he said. "I'll talk to some of those guys and tell them we can pull it out."
Minaya said he didn't hesitate to guarantee the fourth year for Martinez because he believes the impact the 33-year-old righthander will have on the team will go beyond what he does on the mound.
"Three years, four years, what is the value of that?" Minaya asked. "I will not be in the box. I'm trying to think outside the box. And being outside the box is transcending what a signing does."
Mets first-year manager Willie Randolph also was feeling the buzz of the Martinez signing yesterday.
"Carlos Delgado is out there, Moises Alou is out there," he said. "Any manager would love to put those names on their Christmas list."
And the Mets know there's another Carlos out there, too.