Bourn was not going to wait for Mets

Michael Bourn "couldn't even consider" the Mets offer because it would have involved a waiting period before he could get on the field, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

Bourn eventually signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians, after rumors persisted that linked him and the Mets.

The wait would have come from the Mets needing to win a hearing that would have awarded them the protection of their 11th pick, which is not protected under the current rules of the CBA. The pick would have fallen in the top-10, but when the Pirates got a compensation pick for failing to sign Mark Appel it pushed the Mets back to pick 11.

This offseason the Mets were confident that they would be able to get one of either Bourn or Justin Upton, but failed to sign either. The team currently is considered to have a weakness in its outfield, which signing Bourn surely would have helped strengthen.

The Mets did not want to get the pick protected before agreeing with Bourn because they thought that it would ruin their leverage, but despite keeping their leverage, they lost their man.

The outfielder said that he had to suffer through not knowing what team he would play for, but that he is now excited to play for the Indians.