The Mets are willing to trade for Cliff Lee without requiring a negotiating window to sign him to an extension, a source with knowledge of the team’s thinking told The Post.
Lee, the Seattle left-hander who potentially is the top prize of the pre-July 31 trade-deadline period, is a free agent after this season. So if the Mets acquire him without getting a 48- or 72-hour window to sign him, they would be taking a sizeable risk, considering they would be parting with prospects and/or players in order to have him for perhaps only two months.
Two years ago, when the Mets agreed to trade for Johan Santana, another star lefty headed for a major contract, they required the opportunity to negotiate an extension. That was right before spring training in 2008, and Santana was signed for that season.
The Mets, though, used a 72-hour window to agree to a contract extension and ensure that they weren’t trading for Santana for only one season.
With Lee, their philosophy would be different, the source said, citing the fact this would be an in-season acquisition. Lee simply would be a rental, and should he leave as a free agent after the year, the Mets would get compensatory draft picks for him.
The Mets also would be unlikely to trade either Ike Davis, Jenrry Mejia or Jonathon Niese in a deal for Lee, the source said. If they hold fast to that, then Mejia isn’t auditioning for teams as he heads to Double-A Binghamton to be a starting pitcher.
Without those three in a deal, the Mets potentially could offer Seattle a package built around such prospects as Ruben Tejada, Fernando Martinez, 18-year-old shortstop Wilmer Flores, 20-year-old righty Jeurys Familia, and Triple-A catcher Josh Thole.
Flores went into last night hitting .278 with seven homers and 44 RBIs in low A-ball. Familia is in high A-ball and is the lone Met named to this year’s Futures Game. Thole is hitting .278 with two homers and 17 RBIs.
Seattle reportedly is interested in acquiring a catcher in any potential deal.
Lee, who turns 32 in August, is 5-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 10 starts for the Mariners, including three complete games and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 67-to-4. Over his last 2½ seasons with the Indians, Phillies and Mariners, the 2008 AL Cy Young winner has gone a combined 41-19 with a 2.84 ERA in 75 starts.
Lee is expected to eventually receive a contract for perhaps six years and $150 million.