Reese Kaplan -- Infield & Outfield FA Options

In my last article I suggested that the Mets, despite rumors to the contrary, do have pieces that would be desirable to other teams.  However, it is always less risky and easier to acquire players via free agency than peddling away someone like, for example, Brandon Nimmo, who might turn out to be a solid major leaguer.  To ink a free agent requires only a sales pitch and dollars (the latter of which is sometimes hard to come by in MetsWorld). 

So, going into the season it would appear the team on the offensive/defensive side of the ledger is in need of a second baseman if you pencil in Asdrubal Cabrera for third, a third baseman if you pencil in Asdrubal Cabrera for second, and an outfielder given that they only have 4 healthy ones on the roster.  Let’s see who’s still out there and within the team’s limited budget.

Infielders

Let’s get the big pair out of the way first.  Mike Moustakas is looking to cash in on his walk-year season and doesn’t seem to be in the Mets’ budget.  Todd Frazier might be a bit cheaper given that his batting average is so poor, but he makes up for it with strong defense and a good clubhouse presence. 

Eduardo Nunez’ market has been surprisingly quiet this offseason considering his career hitting prowess and his strong 2017 campaign.  Like Wilmer Flores, clubs have tried him all over the place in order to hide his glove, but positional versatility, stolen base acumen and decent on-base percentage might make him a worthy gamble.  Of course, if you want a poor fielder with good speed then Jose Reyes might be cheaper and we all know that cost trumps all for this ballclub. 

Brandon Phillips has been a solid contributor primarily to the Cincinnati Reds throughout his career.  Never a flashy fielder, he earned his paycheck with his legs and his bat, clubbing as many as 32 HRs and stealing as many as 30 bases in a season.  For his career he’s a .275 hitter and hit .285 combined for two teams last year.  Entering his age 36 season his best days are behind him, but he would be a credible stopgap for Luis Guillorme.

Jose Reyes is a pretty polarizing player.  He’s been called a mentor for Amed Rosario, a virus and he has that nasty bit of off-field behavior clouding his reputation.  Mets fans remember him for his batting title season, his many stolen bases and his formerly flashy fielding, but now he’s likely a bench player on a good team (or starter and leading off for the Mets).  For much of last year he looked totally lost and couldn’t crack the Mendoza line, but he finished strongly and with $4 million in his pocket from Colorado he could likely be had on the cheap. 

Chase Utley will forever be booed by the Mets fans for his dirty slide that resulted in Ruben Tejada breaking his leg, but he has been a solid hitter during his long career.  His most recent seasons have been in part time roles and he’s not faired too well, so it’s not likely that his bat could revive enough to overcome the bad PR that would result from signing him. 

Neil Walker is what he is – a streaky, injury prone player who took $17.2 million of the Wilpons’ money last year for lackluster performance.  At age 32 he’s likely seeking a multiyear deal and bringing him back only ensures that the same club that lost in 2017 is coming back together again.  I’d pass. 

Yunel Escobar is another player with a somewhat sketchy personal reputation after an incident in 2012 which resulted in a 3 game suspension while playing for Toronto.  He’s a career .282 hitter but with a bad glove reputation.  If you’re going to go with that, then I’d just play Wilmer Flores.  Pass. 

Trevor Plouffe had a couple of good power years in Minnesota but he’s kind of in that Curtis Granderson all-or-nothing mold.  Lately he’s been relegated to part time play and the lack of steady at-bats has depressed his already mediocre batting average.  His last good season was in 2015, but he is a steady glove and bats from the right hand side.  He is the type who might be worth a minor league invitation.

J.J. Hardy was cut loose by Baltimore after a long career there and at age 36 won’t cost and arm and a leg.  He was always a stellar fielder who a lifetime ago was counted upon to deliver 20+ home runs per season.  He’s not the power threat he once was, but could be in that mold of a one-year stopgap who could provide mentoring to Amed Rosario if he could be persuaded to move to the left or right of shortstop. 

One name not very familiar to many folks is Arismendy Alcantara.  He’s a speedster with some power who has played both the infield and centerfield during his career.  In the minors he was a .275 hitter but in the majors he’s struggled to hit the Mendoza line over parts of four seasons.  At age 26 he’s someone worth considering to stash in AAA where they’re even more bereft of outfielders than is the parent club. 

Once you cross the infield dirt into the grassy areas extending back to the fences, the Mets would seem to be fairly full if everyone was healthy.  Right now Opening Day should include Yoenis Cespedes in LF, Jay Bruce in RF, and one of Brandon Nimmo or Juan Lagares in CF.  That would seem to leave an OF vacancy to be filled by a backup type who becomes superfluous once Michael Conforto is ready to play.  Towards that end let’s skip over the starting caliber players like J.D. Martinez, Lorenzo Cain, Melky Cabrera and others instead to focus on the available backups.

Outfielders

Now former Met Nori Aoki would not be the worst choice to join Jay Bruce in making a return to the team.  He was a consistent .280 hitter throughout his career and shows no signs of slowing down.  The diminutive outfielder is a pesky hitter with decent speed albeit unimpressive defense.  The Mets cut him rather than face an arbitration for his final year of services.  The now 36 year old should be available for less than the $5.5 million he earned last year (though the Mets only paid pro-rated major league minimum).

Although the man might argue the point, at this stage of his career Joey Bats is no longer a starting outfielder.  Jose Bautista is turning 38 this season and won’t embarrass himself if called into duty due to injury.  He’d be a nice bat off the bench.  He hit a mere .203 last season but still managed to hit 23 HRs. 

Peter Bourjos has always had a reputation of a Gold Glove caliber outfielder with some speed but he’s never hit enough to ensure a steady starting role.  Entering his 30s he would probably be content with a reserve role but with the limited starting assignments available after Conforto’s return, he may not find the Mets to his liking. 

Rajai Davis is a slightly better hitting version of Eric Young, Jr.  He’s good for 30 SBs in his sleep but at age 38 he’s best suited to a reserve role and pinch running duties. 

Jarrod Dyson is nearly as fast as Davis but brings his Hoover of a glove with him as well.  He was a part-timer last year in Seattle and would be used similarly here. 

Craig Gentry is another speedster who is accustomed to the reserve role.  A .267 career hitter, he won’t embarrass you if called upon for the occasional start and would provide speed off the bench. 

Franklin Guttierez hasn’t been a starter since 2010.  He’s not going to hurt you but there’s nothing about his game that’s particularly helpful.  As someone who might ride the NY/Las Vegas shuttle, he’d be adequate. 

Austin Jackson was last a starter in 2015 and delivered .267/9/48 with 17 SBs while playing a solid CF.  He’s just 30 and like Bourjos may still think he’s a starter. 

Jon Jay is a solid hitter (career .288) and a stellar fielder yet in the past few years he has not been a starter.  At age 32 he probably wants gig where he’s ensured more opportunities play, but he’d be a great left handed complement to Juan Lagares temporarily in CF. 

Ryan Raburn is appealing due to his versatility having logged an aggregate of a season’s worth of starts at 2B as well as several season’s worth in the outfield.  Nothing about his game stands out in terms of speed or power or defense, but he’s made a long career as a reputable backup player. 

Ben Revere is a .284 career hitter with lightning speed though lately his defense has been regarded as subpar. 

Seth Smith is a career journeyman who has better than average power and will be 36 come the start of the season.  He’s a left handed hitter without much speed, a capable reserve but probably not the best choice.

At age 45 Ichiro Suzuki knows what his role will be if he chooses to come back for another season after a borderline Hall of Fame career.  His 2017 line was ugly by his standards – just a .255 AVG with 3 HRs and 20 RBIs and a single stolen base.  Compared to his .312 career average which includes more than 3000 hits in the USA portion of his career, that’s not good.  Age may have caught up to him but if he’d come to camp on a minor league deal I’d certainly be interested.

The oft-injured Jayson Werth will turn 39 during the upcoming season but still has some power in his right handed bat.  That’s about all he can contribute, not blessed with great speed or a high batting average.  I’d pass. 

Top Choices

As much as it pains me to say it, I think Jose Reyes is the best infield fit for the club.  He can still run, he hit with some power and he has an established relationship with Amed Rosario.  My second choice for an infielder would be Eduardo Nunez as he too can handle the leadoff and 2B roles.  Third choice would be a tossup between J.J. Hardy and Brandon Phillips.

For the outfield role I would like to see them try Ichiro as it's possible he has lost it and thus could be cut after Conforto returns.  Raburn is appealing for the versatility.  Gentry or Davis would accept the role probably more readily than would Revere or Dyson.  

Despite Sandy Alderson's comments in the press conference that he could have the wherewithal for another splashy move and his preference is for the free agent market as it does not require sacrificing scarce resources, please do remember that you're talking about the Wilpons in charge of the checkbook.  Get those visions of All-Star caliber players out of your head.  Who would you choose to fulfill these needs?