Report: The Mets will tender contracts to Angel Pagan and Mike Pelfrey - MLB

Angel Pagan and Mike Pelfrey were solid contributors for the Mets in 2010, but after regressing significantly this season, many wondered if one or both would be non-tendered this winter. According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, that won’t happen. The Mets will tender contracts to both players.

Pagan, 30, batted .262/.322/.372 with seven homers, 56 RBI, 32 stolen bases and a .694 OPS over 532 plate appearances this season while leading MLB center fielders with 10 errors. He is expected to make between $4-5 million in his final year of arbitration.

It’s unlikely Pagan is a long-term piece for the organization, but the Mets would probably struggle to find another center fielder at similar cost who can provide equal or better production next season. He also figures to be the leadoff man if Jose Reyes signs elsewhere this winter.

Pelfrey, who turns 28 in January, posted a 4.74 ERA and 105/65 over 193 2/3 innings this season. He is due between $5-6 million in his final year of arbitration.

Pelfrey is a pretty frustrating pitcher to watch most of the time and his numbers can fluctuate widely from year-to-year because he is regularly at the mercy of the defense behind him, but he has logged 184 1/3 innings in each of the last four seasons. That has value to the Mets, especially when you consider the uncertainty surrounding Johan Santana’s shoulder and the weak market for free agent starters.

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles signed outfielder Aaron Hicks less than 24 hours after Cedric Mullins went down with a strained right groin.

Mullins went on the 10-day injured list, but the Orioles are hoping Hicks can help defensively in the spacious outfield at Camden Yards. Hicks was released last week by the New York Yankees with more than 2 1/2 seasons left on his contract.

“We had noticed that he was a free agent even before the injury,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said. “When the injury occurred and it became pretty clear this was going to be an IL, it seemed like a good fit even more so at that time.”

The Orioles are responsible for paying Hicks just $483,871, a prorated share of the $720,000 minimum salary. The Yankees owe him the rest of his $10.5 million salary this year, plus $9.5 million in each of the next two seasons and a $1 million buyout of a 2026 team option.

The 33-year-old Hicks hit just .188 in 28 games for the Yankees this year.

“We have stuff that we look at from a scouting and evaluation perspective,” Elias said. “It’s very different from just looking at the back of a baseball card, and we hope that we get a bounceback from anyone we bring here.”

Hicks batted .216 last season.

“Hopefully that’s a good thing for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the Baltimore deal. “A lot of time here and a lot of good things happened for him here. I know the last couple of years have been a struggle. But hopefully it’s a good opportunity for him and certainly wish him well. Not too well being in our division and a team we’re chasing, but hopefully it’s a really good fit for him.”

Mullins left a loss to Cleveland after he pulled up while running out an infield grounder. Outfielder Colton Cowser – the fifth pick in the draft two years ago – is hitting .331 at Triple-A Norfolk, but he went on the IL in the past couple weeks.

“Certainly he was building a case towards promotion consideration prior to his injury and prior to Cedric’s injury,” Elias said. “We’ll just see where we’re at.”

Hicks was active for the game but not in the starting lineup. Austin Hays, normally Baltimore’s left field, was in Mullins’ usual spot in center.

When the wall in left at Camden Yards was pushed significantly back before last season, it made left field a bigger challenge defensively.

“In this park … you really need two center fielders,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Aaron’s got a lot of center-field experience. Played left field here before also. Brings the defensive aspect and then the switch-hitting.”