5:38pm: Mets reliever Scott Schoeneweis recently visited Wagner. Schoeneweis says Wagner has already been told by the Mets that his 2010 option will not be exercised. Seems an odd thing for the Mets to do at this point.
12:39pm: Mike Puma of the New York Post talked to closer Billy Wagner, who figures he’s played his last game as a Met. The Mets will pay Wagner $10.5MM next year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. There’s a small chance he could make it back in September ’09.
Wagner doesn’t see his $8MM option being exercised for 2010. The Mets should give it some thought, though. With a $1MM buyout, they’d be looking at essentially a one-year, $7MM deal for Wagner. Even with the risk involved, that could compare favorably to other free agent relievers. Some team would’ve paid that for B.J. Ryan last winter.
