The Mets and the agents for Lucas Duda remain in contact about a possible contract extension for the first baseman, Sandy Alderson said on Thursday.
However, Alderson said if terms cannot be agreed to by Monday, talks will end until after the season, and a person close to the situation told Jon Heyman of CBS Sports a deal is unlikely to be forged before Monday.
Over the weekend, Duda told reporters he was hopeful an agreement could be reached by Opening Day, although he also said his agents would table negotiations until after the 2015 season if they don’t have terms in place by Monday.
“I’d rather get it done before the season just so we can concentrate on the season and focus on winning,” Duda recently told the Bergen Record’s Matt Ehalt.
This is a double-edged sword for both parties.
The Mets could (and maybe should) wait to see how Duda performs in 2015 and see if last season was a building block or a fluke. On the other hand, it might be prudent for the Mets to lock up a power hitter at a potential discount, considering this is an era in the game starved of big home run power.
For Duda, he risks taking below-market money in the future years of a contract in order to gain financial and job security. If he waits, he could position himself for more money if he continues to perform, although if he doesn’t perform, he could end up in a pretty difficult position in the near-term.
Duda, 29, will earn $4.2 million in 2015, his second year of arbitration eligibility. He is under team control through 2017, after which he can become a free agent. He hit .253 with a .349 OBP and .481 SLG with 30 home runs and 92 RBI in 596 plate appearances in 2014.
Updated, April 2, 4:35 PM
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