Tom Glavine News: No News Is Good News For The Mets

Here are some excerpts from an AP article just posted on FoxSports.com:

Tom Glavine hasn't received a contract offer from the Atlanta Braves as he nears a decision on where he wants to play next season, a development that has increased the likelihood he will return to the New York Mets. Glavine's agent, Gregg Clifton, said the two-time Cy Young Award winner has told the Mets he would make a decision by the winter meetings, which start Monday.

Clifton said he has spoken with Braves general manager John Schuerholz several times about Glavine.

"He can't even evaluate that they really want him if he doesn't have an offer," Clifton said Wednesday. "The bottom line is, we're waiting to see if Atlanta wants to make a proposal to us. We've had really nice dialogue on a few occasions and we've kind of left it: We're open. We're waiting for John to give us a call if he would like to."

"As time has gone on, I think it's actually been the potential pull and the desire to go back to New York and be a Met that has delayed this process and further complicated his decision-making," Clifton said.

Clifton and the Mets agreed that they wouldn't start negotiations on a new contract until after Glavine makes a decision that he wants to return to New York.

"They're showing an incredible amount of class," Clifton said, "because at the end of the day they have allowed him to do everything he asked to, which was to go home, to get back into the normal family mode and give him an opportunity to really think this thing through. I think it's working to their advantage, to be honest with you."

Now before we get all excited, let's not forget that this article is almost certainly part of Clifton's negotiation tactics... It doesn't take a brain surgeon (though it might take a skeptic) to realize that Clifton leaked this news to the press to put some pressure on Atlanta. By making it sound that Atlanta's feet dragging is pushing Glavine to the Mets, it will undoubtedly get the Braves fans all worked up. The skeptic in me thinks that Glavine really does want to sign with Atlanta - otherwise, why would Atlanta's non-offer be an issue?