Mets unlikely to meet Darren O'Day's asking price

Darren O'Day, perhaps the top free-agent pitcher on the market, reportedly wants a four-year deal in the vicinity of $28 million to $36 million. While he should find a suitor willing to meet those demands in an age where success isn't judged by saves, the Mets are not likely to pay up.

Over his last four years with the Baltimore Orioles, the righty has turned into one of baseball's best relievers, even if he has been a bit overlooked. Since joining Baltimore in 2012, he has netted a 1.92 ERA—that's .02 lower than Aroldis Chapman—with 9.68 strikeouts per nine innings. O'Day enjoyed his most dominant season yet in 2015, with a 1.52 ERA, 82 strikeouts, and 14 walks in 65.1 innings.

Due to the fickleness of relief pitchers, some interested parties may hesitate to offer the veteran four years. The soft-tossing sidearmer eschews traditional reliever archetypes, but it's hard to argue with results.