Mets like Mulder

Don Burke at NJ.com, writes about the Mets contacting Mark Mulder's agent showing interest:

Free agent Mark Mulder, who spent last season with the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. Clifton met with the Cardinals yesterday.

"They were very open and honest about wanting him back," the agent said. "That being said, Mark has worked and waited a long time for the opportunity to become a free agent."

Clifton said the 29-year-old lefty, who was 6-7 with a 7.14 ERA for the Cardinals before missing the season's final two months following surgery to repair a partial rotator cuff tear, remains intrigued by the possibility of pitching for the Mets.

"Obviously they're very high on his list," Clifton said. "And not just because it's the Mets and it's New York. It's because of his relationship with (Mets pitching coach) Rick Peterson."

Peterson was Mulder's pitching coach with the Oakland Athletics from 2000 until Peterson left to join the Mets before the 2004 season. During their time together, Mulder went 64-34.

"It's not coincidental the success Mark had with Oakland," Clifton said. "Rick had a lot to do with that."