NASHVILLE – Then there were two – teams.
The Mets and Rockies continued to tango in their discussions to move Jeromy Burnitz to Colorado for left-hander Denny Neagle, two players desperate for a change of scenery.
Burnitz is due to make $11.5 million in the final year of his contract while Neagle has $36 million remaining in his three-year deal. The two teams had included the Rangers in a convoluted three-way trade but Texas and their GM John Hart could not sign off on the deal.
The Rockies and Mets, though, continued to hammer away at the one-on-one deal yesterday as the Winter Meetings came to a close and it is only a matter of time before this trade is completed. You can be sure the Rockies will pick up a portion of Neagle’s big money as the Mets try to restructure the contract.
The Mets are convinced that Burnitz cannot play in the big city and are looking to send him away. Burnitz is coming off the worst season of his career as he batted .215 with 19 home runs and only 54 RBIs. The Mets have tried to dump both Burnitz and Roger Cedeno, but the Rangers did not want any part of Cedeno.
Neagle, 34, was dreadful in the high altitude, where he finished 8-11 with a 5.26 ERA. This would mark his second time around in New York after his short stint with the Yankees in 2000. With a strong bullpen behind him, the Mets are hoping Neagle can produce a winning season.
It was fitting that the Mets did come up with a Pressley here in Music City. They announced the other player in the Rey Ordonez dump to the Devil Rays, minor-league first baseman Josh Pressley.
The Mets also got utility infielder Russ Johnson in the deal. Johnson, 29, appeared in only 45 games with the Devil Rays and was placed on the disabled list with a bout with “anxiety and depression.” Pressley, 22, was the Devil Rays’ fourth-round draft pick in the 1998 amateur draft. He split his time between Double-A Orlando and Triple-A Durham. He batted .304 with Orlando with four home runs and 45 RBIs but only .149 in 16 games in Durham.