With the season already lost, the time for evaluation has
clearly begun for the Mets. As a result, Livan Hernandez was released Thursday
afternoon, and Gary Sheffield could read the writing on the wall, too.
So Sheffield, who had asked Mets’ general manager Omar
Minaya for a contract extension three weeks ago and was told they would talk
later, revisited the talks, sitting down with Minaya for a meeting.
His name already penciled in the No. 3 spot in the batting
order, it was abruptly scratched when Sheffield, denied the extension, asked
for his release instead. While that wasn’t granted either, it left the two
sides at an ugly standoff with Sheffield threatening to leave the park – a
threat he did not make good on as he was on the bench for the start of the
game.
The Mets have little recourse regarding Sheffield, who has
said since his release from the Tigers in spring training that he could happily
walk away from the game. The team placed him on waivers earlier this month and
he was claimed by the Marlins, according to someone close to Sheffield. The
Mets, unable to make a deal, pulled him back from waivers. But that left them
now with the inability to deal him as any move to place him through waivers
could result in a team picking him up for nothing.
According to a person familiar with the talks, Sheffield
asked Minaya Thursday for his release or a trade to the Marlins – the team he
had spent the longest tenure of his career with of the eight teams he has
played for. The Mets are unable to make a deal and can either hang on to
Sheffield, release him or expose him to the irrevocable waivers.
It was just another confounding day in a season that seems
to be filled with them. But this seemed to signal a white flag – from the team
regarding Hernandez and from Sheffield regarding his own status with the
organization.
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