Lou Piniella will have a face-to-face meeting tomorrow with Devil Rays owner Vince Naimoli and very well may receive an offer to manage Tampa Bay. However, his agent, Alan Nero, said yesterday it is still his client’s desire to negotiate with the Mets before making any final decision.
“If the Devil Rays make the right offer, he can go there,” Nero said. “Tampa might make an offer he can’t refuse. But I don’t think Lou wants to make a choice until he knows for sure about the Mets.”
Friday, Tampa Bay and Seattle agreed to compensation that enabled the Devil Rays to talk with Piniella. Nero has been in contact every day with Tampa since and is expected to talk to Devil Ray reps today. However, he said he anticipates no actual contract offer until Naimoli and GM Chuck LaMar sit down with him and Piniella tomorrow.
Devil Ray officials have been telling Tampa media outlets they are serious about luring Piniella, not just making a good show to satisfy disenfranchised fans. Joe Torre’s three-year, $15-million contract is the most for a manager and the closer the Rays’ offer is to that, the more seriously they will be viewed as a pursuer.
“We are making headway and progress, but we will know a lot more Tuesday,” Nero said by phone. “Also, by Tuesday, we hope to hear something from the Mets.”
Baseball officials described the Mets and Mariners as still distant on a compensation package that would move Seattle to grant the Mets permission to talk to Piniella. The Mets don’t believe their chances to land Piniella are “a heckuva lot better or a heckuva lot worse” than they were a few days ago, according to an official.
The Mets have grown annoyed at biting comments about this process, specifically by Seattle GM Pat Gillick. The Mariners are bothered by how little the Mets are willing to include as compensation to talk with Piniella. Seattle has agreed to one player in what would be a two-player package, but have shown little affinity for what else the Mets are offering. The Mets have taken not just their top four prospects – Jose Reyes, Aaron Heilman, David Wright and Justin Huber – off the table, but also Pat Strange, Mike Bacsik and Jason Phillips.
Seattle has clearly been playing hardball with the Mets, who have countered by showing no outward pressure to significantly up their offer. It was possible the Mets were waiting to the conclusion of the World Series to see if Giant manager Dusty Baker would become available.
Wilpon did not return calls yesterday, but someone familiar with Wilpon’s thinking described Piniella as the Mets’ No. 1 choice. The Post has learned that two Saturdays ago Met GM Steve Phillips actually met face-to-face with A’s manager Art Howe and recommended that the Mets hire Howe. But Wilpon declined, saying he preferred pursuing Piniella.
“I don’t think Fred is waiting for Dusty,” Nero said.
Piniella was in Arizona over the weekend for a memorial service for his friend Gary Mack, who had been a Mariner counselor. There were thoughts Piniella would confront Seattle officials in attendance to beseech them to make a deal with the Mets. But Nero said it was “not an appropriate setting to do that.”
At various times in these proceedings, Seattle has talked about a possible third or fourth team being involved in wanting to negotiate with Piniella. But Nero said yesterday Piniella’s total focus is on the Devil Rays and Mets.