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Monday 17 deceMber 2018

AP source:

Mets sign PLAYER

C Wilson

Ramos to

2-year deal HADEN

NEW YORK (AP) — The New
York Mets have agreed to
a $19.5 million, two-year
contract with free agent
catcher Wilson Ramos, ac-
cording to a person famil-
iar with the negotiations.
The deal likely signals an
end to the Mets' pursuit of
Marlins catcher J.T. Real-
muto. Instead, New York
will turn to a two-time All-
Star in Ramos who is com-
ing off a strong year with
the Tampa Bay Rays and
Philadelphia Phillies. The
person spoke to The As-
sociated Press on condi-
tion of anonymity Sunday
because the deal has not
been announced and is
still pending a physical.
The 31-year-old Ramos bat-
ted .306 with 15 home runs
and an .845 OPS last sea-
son, ranking fifth among
catchers in Wins Above
Replacement at 2.4, via
Fangraphs. New York of-
ficials met last week with
Ramos at the winter meet-
ings in Las Vegas and with
Yasmani Grandal, another
free agent catcher, in Ari-
zona. Ramos became the
priority for the Mets, partly
because of compensation
required for signing Gran-
dal, who turned down a
$17.9 million qualifying of-
fer from the Los Angeles
Dodgers. If New York had
signed Grandal, the Mets
would have forfeited their
second-highest pick in next
June’s amateur draft and
$500,000 of international
signing bonus allocation in Steelers solve Brady, Patriots
2019-20.
The Mets also discussed a to snap 3-game skid
possible trade for Realmu-
to but decided the players
it would have had to give Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joe Haden (23) intercepts a pass intended for New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman
up in a trade were too high (11) during the second half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018.
a cost. Associated Press
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