Sanchez and Reed reach agreements with Mets

[January 20, 2009]  NEW YORK (AP) -- The Mets agreed to one-year contracts with a pair of players in salary arbitration, settling with reliever Duaner Sanchez at $1,687,500 and outfielder Jeremy Reed at $925,000.

Sanchez was 5-1 with a 4.32 ERA in 66 relief appearances in 2008, when he made $950,000. He was part of a Mets bullpen that blew 29 of 72 save chances and he faded down the stretch, compiling an 8.64 ERA from Aug. 15 while allowing eight runs and 13 hits in 8 1-3 innings and letting opposing hitters bat .342.

Sanchez had surgery on his right shoulder in April 2007.

"I hope to be even stronger this year than I was last year," he said. "I'm in Florida already getting ready for the season and I can't wait for spring training to start."

Reed, obtained from Seattle during the winter meetings along with reliever J.J. Putz in a three-team, 12-player trade, hit .269 for Seattle last year with two homers and 31 RBIs in 286 at-bats.

Four Mets remained in arbitration and were set to exchange proposed figures with the team on Tuesday: right-hander John Maine, outfielder Ryan Church, reliever Pedro Feliciano and outfielder Angel Pagan.

[Associated Press]

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