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Royals’ price for closer Wade Davis too steep for Mets as search for bullpen help continues

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Wade Davis is slated to make $10 million this season.

(JEFF CURRY/USA TODAY SPORTS)

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Tuesday, December 6, 2016, 8:02 PM

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. — With the uncertainty surrounding their closer heading into 2017, the Mets asked the Royals about Wade Davis in their routine meeting with the team this week, but it quickly became clear there was no fit.

The Royals, who are looking to dump salary, are interested in moving Davis and his $10 million salary for next season. The Mets, however, felt Davis' salary was too high with their payroll already projected to be about $10 million over their target. The Royals asked for top prospect Amed Rosario, which was also a non-starter for the Mets. The shortstop prospect is untouchable, according to three Mets sources.

So, on the second full day of the Winter Meetings, the Mets are pretty much treading water. They've continued to talk to some agents and teams about relievers, looking to bulk up the back end of their bullpen and give them some insurance if closer Jeurys Familia has to serve a significant suspension after his arrest for domestic violence this fall.

Sandy Alderson said that the market is slow to develop.

Mets receiving little interest in Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson

"I think things are generally slow. We've had now, what, a couple of trades with Boston. Hopefully things will start to loosen up," Alderson said. "We certainly had plenty of conversations. Eventually it will lead to something I am sure, but the pace has been slow. I think that has been true generally here the last couple of days."

He said the market for dealing an outfielder has been just as slow as it has for finding a reliever.

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Jay Bruce.

(ALEX GOODLETT/GETTY IMAGES)

The Mets have been fairly clear that they are looking to trade Jay Bruce when meeting with teams this week. The right fielder, who they acquired from the Reds at the trade deadline, is not garnering much interest. In fact, a Mets source said the Orioles told the club they are "out" of any talk on Bruce.

The Mets have indicated to clubs they would strongly prefer to move Bruce, who struggled in New York after the trade, to moving Curtis Granderson, who is in the final year of his four-year deal with the Mets.

Brian Cashman: Red Sox ‘got their Kevin Durant’ in Chris Sale

NO SALE

While the Mets have not made any moves at the Winter Meetings yet, they've had some reasons to celebrate. Their division rivals, the Nationals, have missed out on two of their big targets this winter. On Monday, closer Mark Melancon, who finished with the Nats, signed with the Giants, and on Tuesday, White Sox lefty Chris Sale was dealt to the Red Sox.

"No question about it. We don't have to play the Red Sox this year either. I really thought for sure he was going to end up in Washington," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "I really did. We dodged a bullet."

Alderson was waiting on the final bell of the Nats' offseason wheeling and dealing before celebrating.

"I am happy to see him remain in the American League," Alderson said of Sale, before adding that he expects there will be some new monstrous starter the Mets will have to face. "We deal with what we deal with. Had he ended up in our division, we would have had to deal with it. But guess what, somebody else will end up in our division and we'll have to deal with it.

Royals closer Wade Davis shuts down Mets with six-out save

"Pick your poison."

Terry Collins.

(HOWARD SIMMONS/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)

ONE MORE YEAR?

Collins, 67, said that the predictions that 2017 will be his last as a major league manager are a tad premature. He said he will weigh how he feels and how his family feels at the end of the year.

"There's all of us standing here today, who knows if we're all going to be here next year? You don't," Collins said. "I think at the end of the year, you sit down and analyze how you are, how you feel especially when you are 67 years old. When he called me, I had two friends who passed away that I went to high school with that week and all of the sudden you're looking in the mirror saying, ‘Holy cow.’

"When the season is over, I will sit down and hopefully it's in November next year, and analyze where I'm at because I still feel great," Collins continued. "I've got a lot of energy. But I don't know if it's going to be there or not, have to wait and see."

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He is only the second manager in Mets history to take the team to postseason appearances in back-to-back seasons. He is 481-491 in six seasons as the Mets skipper.