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The New York Mets bought out left-hander Johan Santana's 2014 option, making the former Cy Young Award winner a free agent.
The Mets will pay Santana $5.5M instead of paying $25M next season.
Santana missed the 2013 season while working back from surgery that repaired a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. The former Minnesota Twin hopes to be ready for the start of the 2014, although there is no guarantee. About a dozen major leaguers have undergone the surgery to the anterior capsule. This was the second time Santana underwent the surgery.
Mets officials have considered bringing back Santana on a modest deal, but resigning the lefty is not a priority for the Mets at the moment.
Santana in 2012 compiled 117 inning pithed with a 4.85 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9. The lefty, who will turn 35 in Spring Training, came to the Mets in 2008 from the Twins, who received Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra.
The only player that the Mets gave up who turned into a productive major league was Gomez, who won the Gold Glove in center fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers this past season. Santana signed a $137.5M contract over six years when he arrived in New York.