As Ed Price first reported, John Lackey will be undergoing a physical with the Boston Red Sox. This, as I’m sure you can deduce, means that they are close on a deal.
What does that mean for the Mets?
Obviously, this throws a wrench into the possibility of signing the top-tier pitcher for the Mets.
As I wrote today, the Mets shouldn’t be counted out of Lackey and Jason Bay, so it should be the same for the Red Sox. Though they could so it, they probably won’t.
This leaves the Mets as the top suitor for Bay. A mystery team has supposedly offered a five-year deal to Bay. Some say it’s the Mariners.
If Bay is being bid on by only two teams, that might mean it won’t cost a bidding war over Bay and he might be able to sign for a “bargain.”
But if Bay goes elsewhere, and Lackey signs in Boston, where does that leave the Mets?