According to a high-placed Mets operative, the message came in advance of this week’s meetings, where the club might have a chance to lay the groundwork for a deal. Of course the timing of this news could be something else: a way to ease him out of the picture.
“I don’t think there’s any way that Mike didn’t think that his name would be coming up in trade talk this (offseason),” Mike Nicotera, Cameron’s agent, said last night. “He’s a very desirable player and there are a lot of attractive openings he could fit into.
“But we haven’t talked to the Mets about playing center field in a long time.”
The Mets seem willing to sacrifice some fielding ability – Cameron is a Gold Glove outfielder – for a heftier bat and were expected to be gauging the market for Cameron. The Yankees are replacing Bernie Williams, the Red Sox might lose Johnny Damon and the Angels almost are certainly parting company with Steve Finley, so all three teams could be interested in Cameron.