There was a time in the last 24 hours of the negotiation when the Mets believed it had reached an agreement with Trevor Bauer, three sources told the Post. They felt that the terms were approved by both sides and that they were working with one of their agents, Jon Fetterolf, to finalize the details.
But there was no signed agreement – a key element for memorizing a contract was more formally agreed – and there were the Dodgers.
And on Thursday night, the Dodgers went from stalkers to attackers, initiating a final push that would result in getting the best starter at the free agency on Friday. Los Angeles felt it was close to a balanced offer between the Dodgers and the Mets that Bauer would prefer its roots in Southern California and the Dodgers close to a certain championship dispute and modern pitch program.
The Mets had offered a three-year pact, $ 105 million, which could be worth $ 80 million if Bauer dropped out after two years. But they were concerned that, even if they were first in terms of money, they would be the second Bauer wanted to be in, and the Mets were concerned that he might not prefer New York in particular. The Dodgers deal that Bauer eventually agreed to was for $ 102 million for three years, with $ 85 million available in the first two years, although possibly with deferrals that would reduce the current value.
A source said Mets president Sandy Alderson, who has been involved with three organizations in the past four decades, felt he had never continued negotiations and had not finalized the deal.
Both Fetterolf and Alderson said they would not comment on the details of the negotiations.