Reese Kaplan -- Mets Offseason Roster Bullet List -- Week One

Mack's Mets will summarize players mentioned as possible new members of the team available via trade or free agency that have popped up in the media associated with them a part of the 40 man roster.  These bullet points are not necessarily factual as if they were leaked from the Mets front office.  They comprise opinions, rumors and hypotheticals that various Mets beat writers and bloggers have felt necessary to put out into public notice.  Like EPA gas mileage ratings, take the news with a grain of salt.  We share but don’t necessarily endorse any of these transactions.

Major League Players

• Switch hitting Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada is capable of manning 2B or 3B for his new employer.  He did have one monster season in 2019 when he cut down considerably on his strikeouts, hit .315 for the year with 25 HRs and 79 RBIs.  Those are borderline All Star numbers but unfortunately it was the only time he achieved that level of productivity.  His salary in 2024 was a lofty $24 million and the White Sox felt he was not worth retaining for a $25 million salary this year.  At age 30 he’s likely looking for a moderate multiyear deal of 3-4 years but he’s not going to get anywhere near that kind of money based on his 2022 through 2024 numbers.  During that period he missed a lot of time but in over 800 ABs did hit 23 HRs, drove in 91 but his average was below average .236.

• Juan Soto alternative number one is Teoscar Hernandez who is currently an ex Dodger.  During his nine year MLB career he has won three Silver Sluggers and been named an All Star twice.  In 2024 he clubbed 33 HRs and drove in 99 while hitting a very solid .272.  He is a little younger than Starling Marte was when signed, but he is not regarded as a solid defender as Marte used to be nor does he have eye popping base stealing totals.  Prior to having protection around him like Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani he had previously topped out at 32 HRs and 116 RBIs in a year with the Blue Jays while hitting .296.  A typical 162 game output from the big right handed hitter would be .263 with 32 HRs and 96 RBIs.  Those are very solid numbers but he was last earning $23.5 million from Los Angeles.  It’s a noticeable drop off from Soto to Hernandez whose defense and batting average more closely parallel current ex Met Pete Alonso.

• Soto alternative number two is a player with whom NL fans are not quite as familiar.  The ex Baltimore Oriole by the name of Anthony Santander who knocked 44 balls over the fence last year while driving in 102 while earning a scant $11.7 million.  The down side here for the big switch hitter is his batting average.  It was just .235 last season and .246 for his career.  He’s pegged in a typical year for similar numbers to Hernandez at .246/34/94 with no speed whatsoever.  He’d likely get a sizable salary increase and want a long term deal given he was just 29 as the season ended.  Defensively he’s nothing special either. 

• While the names of the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees and Houston Astros have floated around for quite some time regarding former Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, this week a shocking entrant into the bidding ware arose with the Washington Nationals.  Apparently the owners feel that their corps of young talent is strong and a solid run producer in the middle of the lineup would help get them out of the second division in the standings.  Enter the expensive but not unreachable salary and contract length sought by Pete Alonso.  It’s a name no one expected to hear regarding the Polar Bear, but stranger things have happened.

Minor League Players

• What more can be said about the stellar season coming from the bat and legs of AAA Met Luisangel Acuna?  He’s up again to a .375 average while stealing bases at will.  The concern here is that he’s exclusively playing shortstop in Winter ball which might be to increase his trade value.  With Francisco Lindor entrenched there for the Mets it would require a position change for Acuna to become a long term part of the big club. 

• Newcomer Joey Meneses is also apparently demonstrating that signing him was the right thing to do.  He’s hitting over .330 thus far and while the expectation is unrealistic that he would do so in the majors at that level, it’s still great to see.