NEW YORK — Neil Walker hopes to remain with the New York Mets.
The 31-year-old second baseman, recovering from season-ending back surgery, is eligible for free agency after the World Series. Despite playing in only 113 games, he matched his career high with 23 home runs while batting .282 with 55 RBIs in his first season with the Mets.
"I’m hopeful that we have positive discussions here," he said Sunday. "It makes a lot of sense."
General manager Sandy Alderson said last month the Mets expected to have conversations with Walker’s agent before the end of the season.
"This is a good fit. This looks good, but we don’t know what else is out there," Walker said. "We don’t know where teams might be coming from. The free-agent market this year is kind of weak, especially at the infield position, so you never know what could happen."
Walker had surgery Sept. 8 to repair a herniated disk. He expects to start swinging a bat in mid-December.
"The last three days I’ve gotten out of bed, my back hasn’t hurt, and I haven’t had that for about 2 1/2 years, so we’re in a pretty good place right now," he said.
New York obtained Walker from Pittsburgh for left-hander Jonathon Niese on Dec. 9. He is making $10.55 million this year.
