Report: Mets, Baez could agree on extension in early offseason

Javier Baez may be on the verge of becoming the New York Mets' long-term second baseman.

There is a real chance the Mets and Baez will agree to a contract extension early in the offseason, sources told SNY's Andy Martino.

Baez played very well for New York down the stretch after a tough first month in Queens. The 28-year-old hit .347/.426/.554 with five home runs, 14 RBIs, and five steals in September and October after posting a .671 OPS with three round-trippers in August.

Along with his late-season performance and his willingness to play through injury, the Mets were also impressed with how Baez handled August's thumbs-down incident, according to Martino.

The infielder apparently held himself accountable for creating the gesture, which wasn't well-received after he and teammates Francisco Lindor and Kevin Pillar used it to clap back at unhappy fans. Baez admitted to creating the salute to absorb some of the pressure from his struggling teammates.

The club could face stiff competition from the crosstown New York Yankees if Baez doesn't sign an extension and he enters free agency. The Yankees are expected to pursue him and were aggressive in trying to acquire the two-time All-Star at the trade deadline before he landed with the Mets, sources told Martino.

There is no indication of what it might cost the franchise to extend Baez, but the 2016 NLCS MVP couldn't come to an agreement with the Chicago Cubs on a deal after they reportedly offered him $160-170 million during 2020 spring training.

If New York can't extend Baez, he'll join an impressive free-agent shortstop class that includes Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Trevor Story, and Marcus Semien.