Source: Ramos to Mets

The New York Mets have agreed to a $19.5 million, two-year contract with free agent catcher Wilson Ramos, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The deal likely signals an end to the Mets’ pursuit of Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto. Instead, New York will turn to a two-time All-Star in Ramos who is coming off a strong year with the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because the deal has not been announced and is still pending a physical. The 31-year-old Ramos batted .306 with 15 home runs and an .845 OPS last season, ranking fifth among catchers in wins above replacement at 2.4, via Fangraphs. New York officials met last week with Ramos at

the winter meetings in Las Vegas and with Yasmani Grandal, an- other free agent catcher, in Arizona. Ramos became the priority for the Mets, partly because of compensation required for signing Grandal, who turned down a $17.9 million qualifying offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers. If New York had signed Grandal, the Mets would have forfeited their second-highest pick in next June’s amateur draft and $500,000 of international signing bonus allocation in 2019-20. The Mets also discussed a possible trade for Realmuto but decided the players it would have had to give up in a trade were too high a cost. Ramos crosses another item of the to-do list of new General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen. The former agent made a blockbuster deal with Seattle for second baseman Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz this month and also brought back former New York closer Jeurys Familia on a $30 million, three-year deal last week. The team may still pursue an upgrade in center field

and a left-handed reliever.