Mets Lock Up Jon Niese With 5-Year, $25.5 Million Extension
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) -- The Mets and left-handed pitcher Jon Niese have agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $25.5 million guaranteed, according to CBSSports.com and WFAN's Jon Heyman.
The deal includes team options for a sixth and seventh year at $10 million and $10.5 million, respectively. The agreement is pending a physical.
Niese is slated to be the Mets' third starter this season after going 11-11 with a 4.40 ERA in 26 starts last season. The 25-year-old is 22-23 with a 4.39 ERA in four Major League seasons, all of which have been with the Mets.
Niese had agreed in March to a one-year contract paying $519,550 in the major leagues and would have been eligible for salary arbitration after the season.
The Mets' ownership last month settled the lawsuit filed by trustee Irving Picard, agreeing to pay up to $162 million, a fraction of the $1 billion Picard originally demanded from Fred Wilpon, Saul Katz and their family and affiliates.
New York repaid loans of $25 million to Major League Baseball and $40 million to Bank of America, and has closed on the sales of 12 limited partner shares for $20 million each.
NOTES: The Mets set their opening-day roster by selecting the contracts of RHP Miguel Batista and OF Mike Baxter from Triple-A Buffalo. They put RHPs Pedro Beato and D.J. Carrasco on the 15-day DL, retroactive to March 26, sent RHP Armando Rodriguez outright to Double-A Binghamton and said RHP Josh Stinson was claimed by Milwaukee.
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