UPDATE: Rubin now says the deal is done, pending Cedeno passing a physical exam, and will be worth around $1.1 million for one season.
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According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York the Mets are talking to free agent infielder Ronny Cedeno and negotiations have reached a “critical” stage.
Ruben Tejada and Daniel Murphy are slated to be the Mets’ starting middle infield and earlier this week the team signed Omar Quintanilla to a minor-league deal to provide more depth, but Cedeno would be a more viable starting alternative after serving as the Pirates’ everyday shortstop for the past two seasons.
Cedeno didn’t hit much, batting just .254 with a .297 on-base percentage and .367 slugging percentage in 313 total games for the Pirates, but the 29-year-old is solid defensively at both shortstop and second base.
New York has been linked to Jack Wilson as a veteran utility man for much of the offseason, but he’d presumably no longer be an option if Cedeno was signed.