JUPITER, Fla. — Jhonny Peralta was high on the Mets’ wish list after last season, but it turns out he was closer to playing his home games in The Bronx than in Queens this season.
The veteran shortstop — who ultimately signed a four-year deal worth $53 million with the Cardinals — told The Post on Sunday the Yankees made him a better offer than the Mets.
According to Peralta, the Mets offered two years and an opportunity to play shortstop. The Yankees offered three years and a chance to play mostly third base.
“The Mets talked to my agent, but the offer they made was not really good,” Peralta said. “But they were really serious.
“The Mets came in first and they offered only two years and the Yankees offered three, but I decided to come here to the Cardinals.”
Ruben Tejada remains the starting shortstop for the Mets, who have shown interest in free agent Stephen Drew. But the club will likely only sign Drew if agent Scott Boras slashes the price tag. Boras is believed to be seeking a contract that would pay Drew at least $14 million for this year.
“The Mets said they had a little problem with Tejada and they were looking for a shortstop,” Peralta said. “The situation for the Yankees was a little bit different because they wanted me to play third base and shortstop. They were looking more for third base.
“I would have liked to play in New York, because I have a lot of family there. But I wanted to play for the Cardinals a long time ago, so it’s good that I decided to come here.”
After Peralta went to the Cardinals, the Mets made their free-agent splash of the winter, signing Curtis Granderson to a four-year contract worth $60 million.