The New York Mets, who have been trying to fill their big hole at catcher, Saturday said they have ended negotiations with free-agent catcher Yorvit Torrealba.
Mets spokesman Jay Horowitz confirmed to reporters that the club will not sign the 29-year-old Torrealba and that there are no longer any discussions with him.
"We did not reach an agreement with Yorvit Torrealba. We are
not in current ongoing negotiations with Yorvit Torrealba or his
representatives,'' Horwitz said Saturday night.
Torrealba's agent, Melvin Roman, declined comment to ESPN. The Mets had made a three-year, $14.4 million offer that Roman said Torrealba would accept.
The free-agent catcher batted .255 with eight homers and 47 RBIs in 113 games for the Rockies this season. He was roundly praised for a deft touch in expertly handling Colorado's young pitchers.
The Mets this week retained catcher Ramon Castro to be their backup again, and he would have stood to get more playing time behind Torrealba than he did behind Paul Lo Duca, the previous starter. Castro passed his physical Thursday after agreeing to a $4.6 million, two-year contract negotiated by agents Sam and Seth Levinson.
This was the first time in Torrealba's seven-year major league career that he played more than 76 games. He is a .251 career hitter with 30 homers and 173 RBIs in 440 games.
Torrealba got some clutch hits for the Rockies, batting .256 with a home run and eight RBIs during the postseason. He was much more productive all year at hitter-friendly Coors Field, batting .296 with six homers and 34 RBIs at home but only .212 with two home runs and 13 RBIs on the road.
Information from ESPN Radio 1050's Andrew Marchand and The Associated Press was used in this report.