Rosenthal on D&H: Wagner would veto Sox over health concerns

Fox Sports writer Ken Rosenthal, in his weekly visit on the Dale & Holley Show (with Tom Caron of NESN filling in for Michael Holley), said that Mets reliever Billy Wagner would exercise his no-trade clause to veto a potential move sending him from New York to the Red Sox for both contractual and health reasons. Wagner, said Rosenthal, is focused on continuing his career as a closer beyond the 2009 season. He viewed the best way to achieve that, in both regards, as being to stay with the Mets, where he can pitch on a steady schedule -- perhaps every few days -- rather than having the game situation and heat of the pennant race dictate his usage.
 
"When he’s with the Mets, over the next month with the Mets, that will be more of a controlled environment," said Rosenthal. "He’s a competitive guy. He would want the ball. In his mind, (staying with the Mets) is just a better way to go."
 
Wagner, who underwent Tommy John surgery last September, and his agent also wanted to make as a condition of waiving his no-trade clause that the Red Sox would not exercise his $8 million option for the 2010 season and that the team would not offer him salary arbitration. The Sox, Rosenthal said, were ready to agree not to exercise the option, and instead buy it out for $1 million, but they were reluctant to sacrifice the potential to gain two draft picks through an offer of arbitration for the Type A free agent. Wagner and his agent, Bean Stringfellow, worried that an arbitration offer would limit his mobility in free agency.
 
Rosenthal also discussed whether the Blue Jays would have traded Roy Halladay if a team had been willing to take Vernon Wells and whether the Red Sox and Yankees had medical concerns when they decided not to trade for Johan Santana. For complete audio of the interview, click here.