The Mets still view Mike Pelfrey as a piece that can help them either in the starting rotation or bullpen, but will make a run at him as a free agent instead of tendering him a contract for 2013, an organizational source said yesterday.
Pelfrey, who underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery in May, earned $5.68 million in 2012 and would stand to earn close to that amount in arbitration if the Mets tender him a contract.
By non-tendering Pelfrey, the Mets can try to sign him at a deeply reduced price as a free agent, although they would be competing against other clubs.
As for Andres Torres, the source said it is still “up in the air” whether the Mets will tender him a contract. Torres earned $2.7 million last season, but hardly solidified the team’s center field needs, batting .230 with three homers and 35 RBIs.