According to a source familiar with the negotiations, former Red Sox infielder Alex Cora is close to a one-year deal with a vesting option for  second with the New York Mets. The deal, which would guarantee the 34-year-old the same $2 million he made in ‘09 during at least the initial year of the contract, is expected to be finalized upon Cora passing a physical.

Cora played in 82 games with the Mets in ‘09 before injuries cut short his season. He hit .251 for the season, playing 56 games at shortstop, 19 at second base and one at first base.

Cora spent most of the year trying to play with torn ligaments in both thumbs. His right thumb was the first to endure injury in mid-May, and his production steadily declined over the year. With Jose Reyes out, Cora became the Mets’ primary shortstop early in the year, hitting .333 with a .435 OBP and .886 OPS in 66 plate appearances prior to his right thumb injury. After returning from the D.L., he hit .232/.290/.277/.567 before undergoing season-ending surgery in mid-August. He ended 2009 with a .251/.320/.310/.630 line.

Cora played in parts of four seasons with the Red Sox before becoming a free agent following the 2008 season. Though the Red Sox are still in the market for a shortstop, they did not express interest in bringing Cora back to Boston.

5 Comments for “Cora close to deal with Mets”

1. HeidiHeartsNick Says:
   November 30th, 2009 at 2:52 pm

   Rob,

   Um, who cares?

2. Leo Says:
   November 30th, 2009 at 3:38 pm

   I care, because this isn’t the type of thing that Omar should be doing. His OBP went down even further, from .371 to .320, despite increased playing time. Why are we giving him 2 million again?

3. Wesley Says:
   November 30th, 2009 at 7:25 pm

   Because “he’s a good clubhouse guy,” which means absolutely nothing, really. He’s not very good at baseball anymore; average defender and not hitting too well. I don’t mind if he comes back for the minimum or close to it, because he’ll just be a utility man. But paying $2 million for someone like him is too much, when they already had Wilson Valdez (now with the Phillies), a great defensive backup for the minimum.

4. Mark Says:
   November 30th, 2009 at 7:29 pm

   Well I think everyone was saying who cares about Nick Green at this time last year too. Cora could wind up having some value somewhere and honestly I think there were times last year when the Sox missed his versatility.

5. HeidiHeartsNick Says:
   December 1st, 2009 at 12:22 am

   ” Well I think everyone was saying who cares about Nick Green at this time last year too. Cora could wind up having some value somewhere and honestly I think there were times last year when the Sox missed his versatility.”

   But, would Heidi Watney have liked Alex Cora as much as she liked Nick Green?

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