There was a time in the last 24 hours of the negotiation when the Mets believed they had reached an agreement with Trevor Bauer, three sources told The Post. They felt that the terms were approved by both sides and that they were working with one of his agents, Jon Fetterolf, to finalize the details.
But no term sheet had been signed – an important element to commemorate a contract had been more formally agreed – and there were the Dodgers.
And on Thursday-evening, the Dodgers had gone from snooping to punching and embarking on a final push that would lead them to become the best starter in free agency on Friday. Los Angeles felt like it was close to an even bid between the Dodgers and Mets that Bauer would prefer his Southern California roots and that of the Dodgers near some championship battle and a modern pitching schedule.
The Mets had offered a three-year $ 105 million pact that could be worth $ 80 million if Bauer quit after two years. But they were concerned that even if they were first in all, they were second where Bauer wanted to be, and the Mets were concerned that he might not prefer New York, in particular. The Dodgers deal that Bauer eventually agreed to was $ 102 million for three years, with $ 85 million available for the first two years, but possibly with a delay that would lower the current value.
A source said Mets president Sandy Alderson, who had been involved with three organizations over the past four decades, felt he had never negotiated so extensively and had not finalized the deal.
Both Fetterolf and Alderson said they would not comment on the details of the negotiations.