As expected, Jason Kendall agreed to a 1-year deal on Wednesday with the Milwaukee Brewers, reports the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

The contract has not been finalized and is pending Kendall passing a physical next week. Financial terms have not been disclosed but the deal does include a vesting option for 2009.

Kendall replaces Johnny Estrada, who was traded Tuesday to the Mets for reliever Guillermo Mota.

The Mets now look for other options at catcher with the Yorvit Torrealba talks terminated. Newsday reports that as of last night, the Mets had not changed their stance on Paul Lo Duca.

Willie Randolph said Thursday that Lo Duca is interested in a three- or four-year contract but Lo Duca’s agent, Andrew Mongelluzzi told Adam Rubin at the New York Daily News that there was not a lot of effort put into offering Lo Duca a job by the Mets, whether it was one year, two years, three years, four years.

Newsday reports that a person familiar with the Mets’ thinking still did not see Lo Duca as a possibility.

The Mets may look to the free agent market now, where Michael Barrett and Jason Kendall are the top remaining options. Barrett would cost the Mets a draft pick as a Type-A free agent. Kendall batted a dismal .242 for the A’s and Cubs last year.

On the trade front, which the Mets would like to avoid in the interest of using their chips for pitching instead, the Mets could look to Gerald Laird of the Rangers or Ramon Hernandez on the Orioles.

SNY’s Ted Berg suggests the Mets talk to Arizona about the availability of 24 year old, lefty-hitting catcher Miguel Montero.

The clock strikes the witching hour and the deadline for teams to have exclusive negotiating rights has passed. The big deal last night was Jorge Posada returning to the Yankees with a 4 year, $52.4 million deal. Lets look at some of the players who are expected to reach the open market today.

• The Mets are not expected to make offers to Paul Lo Duca and Luis Castillo until they have a chance to look at other options such as Yorvit Torrealba, Jason Kendall, Orlando Hudson and David Eckstein.
• The Palm Beach Post reports that the Marlins are looking to upgrade over Miguel Olivo, and may join the Mets in kicking the tires on Lo Duca and Torrealba as well.
• The Red Sox were unable to reach an agreement with Mike Lowell before the deadline. They reportedly offered a three year deal. What happens with Lowell now will have implications on where Alex Rodriguez and Miguel Cabrera will land. The Dodgers, Angels, Yankees and Phillies have all expressed interest in Lowell.
• The Twins do not seem optimistic they can resign Torii Hunter. The Twins will have some tough decisions to make if Hunter leaves, including if they can afford to trade Johan Santana on top of losing Hunter and not have Twins fans marching in the streets looking for new GM Bill Smith’s head. The White Sox, Rangers, Nationals, Royals, Braves and Dodgers are believed to be interested in Hunter’s services.
• The most prized member of a weak free agent market for pitchers, Carlos Silva, is unlikely to receive an offer from the Twins and will likely be pursued by the Mets, Phillies, Angels, Royals, Tigers and Mariners.
• A number of relievers will hit the open market, barring some midnight madness. Scott Linebrink, Jeremy Affeldt, Ron Mahay, Eric Gagne and Francisco Cordero among the most notable names on the list.
• The Yankees have reportedly offered Mariano Rivera a three year, $40 million deal. At this time it appears that Rivera will be hitting the open market and is likely to be one of the most sought after free agents available. The Phillies were once thought to be interested in Rivera but with the addition of Brad Lidge that seems to be dead issue.