The New York Mets have reportedly offered NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey a two-year contract extension.
Fox Sports reported Saturday morning that the Mets planned to make an offer but the New York Daily News later reported that the club already made the offer.
It is not clear how much money is involved, but the Daily News reported that Dickey, 38, would sign a contract comparable to the two-year, $29 million deal recently given to Chicago White Sox right-hander Jake Peavy.
The Mets have already picked up a $5 million option on Dickey for 2013. The knuckleballer went 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA and 230 strikeouts this year.
—The Toronto Blue Jays have narrowed their managerial search down to Jim Tracy and Jim Riggleman, ESPN.com reported Saturday.
The job opened up when John Farrell left to be the Boston Red Sox’s new manager a month ago.
Tracy resigned as Colorado Rockies’ manager in October after the club finished 64-98.
Riggleman has been managing the Cincinnati Reds’ Class AA affiliate in Pensacola, Fla. He stepped down as Washington Nationals’ manager in the middle of the 2011 season when general manager Mike Rizzo refused to discuss a contract extension with him.
Toronto made a splash during the week when it agreed to terms with free agent outfielder Melky Cabrera and made a big trade with the Miami Marlins.
The Blue Jays got shortstop Jose Reyes, right-handers Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle, catcher John Buck and utility player Emilio Bonafacio for shortstop Yunel Escobar and a few prospects. The league is reviewing the trade.
—The Seattle Mariners likely will not pursue free agent outfielder Josh Hamilton.
Mariners president Chuck Armstrong told CBS Sports earlier in the week that the team is interested in Hamilton, but general manager Jack Zduriencik told MLB.com on Friday that they will probably not go after him.
The Mariners are looking to increase their payroll to add much-needed offense to their lineup but Hamilton might be out of their price range.
“You have to be realistic about how you’re going to allocate your dollars,” Zduriencik said. “Some of these things drag out and if you’re sitting there waiting on one chip, other chips in front of you might go away and you end up with nothing.”
Hamilton, 31, may be seeking a seven-year deal in the neighborhood of $175 million, according to several media reports.
The 2010 AL MVP has been one of the top power hitters in the American League for the past five years with the Texas Rangers.
Last year, Zduriencik met with agent Scott Boras about then-free agent Prince Fielder. The first baseman ended up signing a 10-year, $214 million deal with the Detroit Tigers, less than what the Mariners were willing to offer.
Zduriencik said he has meet with agent Mike Moye, who represents Hamilton.
“You never say never to anything,” Zduriencik said. “Don’t get me wrong. Even in the Prince thing, you never knew where it would end up and this one you don’t, either. But you kind of get an idea and feel. Last year in my discussions with Scott, he was pretty sure he’d get at least seven years with a ‘2’ in front of the dollars. And he was right.”