Looking for a diamond in the rough, the Mets last night agreed to terms with veteran pitcher Kelvim Escobar, a club official told The Post.
The 33-year-old right-hander is a reclamation project, having missed nearly two full seasons with shoulder problems, but the Mets view him as a potential candidate to be the setup man for Francisco Rodriguez.
Escobar appeared in one game last season for the Angels. His last action before that was in 2007, when he went 18-7 with a 3.40 ERA with the Angels.
The Venezuelan began his major league career in 1997 with the Blue Jays and holds a career 101-91 record with a 4.15 ERA. Escobar will sign a major league contract with a low base salary, but it is not known if the deal includes incentives.
The move came just a day after the Mets agreed to terms with veteran knuckleballer R.A. Dickey on a minor league contract. The Mets also were active trying to sign reliever Matt Capps before he agreed to a one-year deal with the Nationals.
Even so, general manager Omar Minaya’s main focus remains trying to sign Jason Bay, filling a vacancy in left field.
As Minaya awaits an answer from Bay, he does so confident that contract terms — not the idea of playing for a forlorn franchise or home games in cavernous Citi Field – are the reason the free-agent outfielder hasn’t yet signed with the club.
“It’s no different than what you’re seeing with a lot of guys,” Minaya told The Post yesterday. “You’re seeing a lot of guys that believe the market is different than what it really is.”
The Mets have made a four-year proposal to Bay for about $65 million, but it remains to be seen if that offer has a shelf life. Minaya would not say if a deadline has been set for Bay to accept, but the GM did acknowledge fallback options remain in place.
According to a league source, the Mets are still the only serious contender to sign Bay. Though reports have swirled about Boston possibly rejoining the mix, such a scenario seems unlikely.
Matt Holliday and Johnny Damon are two options that could emerge should the Bay Watch conclude without a signing. But one reason the Mets hope they don’t have to go that route is both Holliday and Damon are represented by agent Scott Boras, and the last thing Minaya would need is another protracted negotiation.
Bay’s removal from the equation would also drive up Boras’ asking price from the Mets for a Holliday or Damon.