ail Can it really be anyone other than the formida

NEW YORK -- Second baseman Neil Walker has accepted a $17.2 million qualifying offer and will return to the New York Mets for 2017.Walker confirmed via Twitter that he will be back with the Mets. Happy to say Im back in Orange and Blue for 2017!! Lets go Mets! #unfinishedbusiness, Walker posted on Monday.?Walker underwent season-ending surgery to repair a herniated disk on Sept. 8. That likely depressed his ability to get a multiyear contract, even though his lower-back woes are expected to be behind him.Absent the back surgery, Walker might have been able to land a deal between what Daniel Murphy received with the Nationals (three years, $37.5M) and Ben Zobrist received with the Cubs (four years, $56M) last offseason.Walker, 31, hit .282 with 23 homers and 55 RBIs in 412 at-bats with the Mets in 2016. The long ball total matched his career high and trailed only that of St. Louis Jedd Gyorko (30) and Murphy (25) among National League second basemen.Walkers return for the 2017 season raises the Mets payroll commitment, including estimates for arbitration-eligible players, to roughly $124 million. It has a direct impact on Jose Reyes, who might recede to a backup role with, potentially, some outfield time, assuming starting infielders David Wright, Asdrubal Cabrera, Walker and Lucas Duda?are all healthy.A Pittsburgh native, Walker was selected by his hometown club in the first round of the 2004 draft. He remained with the Pirates until he was traded to the Mets last December for left-hander Jonathon Niese.Despite the lack of a long-term attachment to the Mets, Walker demonstrated his affinity for the team by maintaining a presence in the clubhouse this past season, even after undergoing back surgery with nearly a month remaining in the season. His wife gave birth to the couples first child, daughter Nora Vail, in late August.Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes will decline his qualifying offer. After he vacated the remaining two years and $47.5 million on his previous contract by opting out, returning for one season at $17.2 million wouldnt have made sense. The Mets will recoup a draft pick if Cespedes signs elsewhere, though there is still a chance he returns.Eight other free agents did not accept offers from their former teams by Mondays 5 p.m. EST deadline: outfielders Jose Bautista (Toronto), Ian Desmond (Texas), Dexter Fowler (Chicago Cubs) and Mark Trumbo (Baltimore), designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (Toronto), closer Kenley Jansen (Los Angeles Dodgers) and third baseman Justin Turner (Dodgers).Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. Hirving Lozano Jersey . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Jesus Manuel Corona Mexico Jersey . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday. http://www.nationalsoccermexico.com/jesus-manuel-corona-mexico-jersey/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Jose de Jesus Corona Jersey . Howard Ganz, an MLB lawyer, said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos that Rodriguezs claims do not come "remotely close" to what is needed to overturn an arbitration decision in federal court. Andres Guardado Jersey . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday.Andy Murray has been seeded second for this weeks Monte Carlo Masters and cannot face Novak Djokovic until the final - but his route looks anything but straightforward. Murray begins his clay court season in the principality and will be looking to return to the form that saw him reach the Australian Open final rather than the form of the US hard-court Masters swing.Murray has suffered shock defeats in recent weeks, losing to Federico Delbonis at Indian Wells, and labouring in defeat to Grigor Dimitrov in Miami. Next up for the world No 2 is Monte Carlo, a venue he has not played at since a third round exit in 2013, and he will be hoping to replicate the form which guided him to the semi-finals in 2009 and 2011.However, he has it all to do if he is to claim a first Masters title in Monte Carlo.... Second Round beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-2 4-6 6-3 Last 16 beat Benoit Paire 2-6 7-5 7-5 Quarter-Final - Milos Raonic Milos Raonic has been one of the form players on tour this season Plenty of danger lurks in Murrays quarter with Pablo Cuevas, a two-time clay-court winner this season, posing a very real threat to the big serving of Tomas Berdych (runner-up in 2015) and Milos Raonic, but its the Canadian who is arguably the form man on the tour this year behind Novak Djokovic.A run to the semi-final at the Australian Open, where he was beaten in five sets by Murray, was followed by a lay-off before a return at Indian Wells where he made the final before losing to Djokovic. Raonic has reached at least the last eight in all four of his events this year, but Murray leads the head-to-head and won the pairs last meeting on clay - a straight sets success on his way to the Madrid Masters title last year.Semi-final - Rafa Nadal Rafael Nadal has won eight Monte Carlo titles - but none since 2012 Rafa Nadal or Stan Wawrinka are the big hitters likely to provide the semi-final opposition with Dimitrov and Dominic Thiem the danger-men lurking in that quarter.ddddddddddddWawrinka was champion in the principality in 2014 but by virtue of his reputation as the king of clay we will take Nadal, with eight successive Monte Carlo crowns under his belt to come through and provide Murrays semi-final challenge.The 29-year-old may be a fading force but his run to the semi-finals at Indian Wells hinted at a return to form before that shock second-round defeat to Damir Dzumhur in Miami.Nadal holds a dominant head-to-head record between the pair including their last meeting at the World Tour Finals in London last year - however Murray won the last meeting on clay.Murray claimed the Madrid Masters title last year with a dominant 6-3 6-2 victory over Nadal in the final and will hope for more of the same should the pair make it as far as the last four.Final - Roger Federer Master of his trade Novak Djokovic blazing a Masters trail Can it really be anyone other than the formidable world No 1 who faces Murray in the final? Djokovic has claimed the first two Masters events of the year (Indian Wells and Miami) which took his career tally to a record 28.He is the defending Monte Carlo champion, has reached the final of every Masters event he has entered since Shanghai in 2014 and has lost just once this year to go alongside his four titles (although that was an enforced withdrawal against Lopez following an eye problem).Well yes actually it can, Roger Federer has made serene progress in Monte Carlo and is chasing a first win in the principality having lost four finals. Gael Monfils is the most likely alternative, reveling in front of his home fans.You can watch the action from the Monte Carlo Masters on Sky Sports from 9.30am on Monday on Sky Sports 1 Federers Monte Carlo retrurn Details on the draw in Monte Carlo Also See: Federers Monte Carlo return Sky Live: Monte Carlo Masters Master of his trade Djokovic wins in Miami ' ' '