NEW YORK (AP) -Carlos Delgado is happy the New York Mets hung onto him. Now, he’s waiting to see how much the rest of the team changes this winter.
Coming off their second consecutive September collapse, the Mets exercised Delgado’s $12 million option last week rather than pay him a $4 million buyout. But while the 36-year-old first baseman is staying put, New York might look to shake things up elsewhere following its latest flop at the finish.
“I would say that we have a great team, great group of guys, great young players that you’re not going to find just like that,” Delgado said on a conference call Wednesday. “We don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. In my case, I’m going to do what I’ve done in the past which is make sure that we’re all on the same page and lead by example.”
Following an abysmal start, Delgado helped carry the Mets back into the pennant race by batting .308 with 27 homers and 80 RBIs in 84 games from June 27 on.
layoff contention with a loss on the final day of the regular season for the second straight year.
Afterward, some teammates acknowledged that upgrading the club’s woeful bullpen was an offseason necessity. All-Star closer Billy Wagner is expected to miss next season following elbow surgery and the Mets must decide whether to pursue Francisco Rodriguez, the biggest prize on the free-agent relief market.
Delgado said he would be willing to make recruiting calls to potential Mets targets if they were players he was “comfortable” with. But he said he doesn’t know K-Rod at all.
After talking it over with his wife, Delgado said he’d like to play at least two more years. He hasn’t spoken with the Mets about a possible contract extension beyond 2009, but he’s OK with that.
“I was glad when they told me I was coming back,” he said. “I know more now than what I knew at the end of the season.”
Delgado is 31 home runs shy of 500, a milestone he would like to reach.
“I’m pretty close so I will try my best to get there,” he said.
And he’d like to play for his native Puerto Rico in next year’s World Baseball Classic, which runs from March 5-23.
“In 2006 I was a little banged up and I didn’t get to play, so this will be a great opportunity to represent my country,” Delgado said.
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