Reese Kaplan -- Who Is Going to Be the Mets' DH?

Some folks feel I am overly negative about the roster stagnation.  

Perhaps it is true, but I am also a professionally trained project manager whose certification requires people to execute Plan A while simultaneously having Plans B, C and D fully fleshed out and ready to implement if for any reason Plan A cannot happen. 

Now I don’t know Steve Cohen nor David Stearns personally and it is certainly entirely possible that they are taking this approach.  Both are highly successful at what they do, but the one inarguable point is that the pool of talent is getting smaller day by day.  

When you read about key players coming off the board while the Mets have not reinforced their roster, well, the frustration and confusion are certainly reasonable reactions.

Today let’s examine on a positive front how the Mets can enhance their approach to the Designated Hitter which has pretty much been a black hole for the franchise since the National League adopted the rule that the American League has long embraced. 

It’s not necessary to study in detail the numbers produced by the likes of Darin Ruf, Daniel Vogelbach and many others.  Last year was a slight improvement with an off year from D.H. extraordinaire J.D. Martinez and his left handed platoon partner Jesse Winker, but their aggregate production was not All Star level by any means.

As the roster stands right now, the D.H. choices are numerous but not necessarily exciting.  Probably leading the list is Starling Marte who has struggled to stay healthy during the first three years of his four year deal.  As he ages as a ballplayer who relies heavily on his legs for his offensive production is banking on both turning 36 and fighting injuries to keep this aspect of his game positive.  

He had 20 HR power earlier in his career but topped out at 16 as a Mets newcomer in 2022.  In 2023 and 2024 combined he his just 13.  His batting average his slipped as well from a career number of .286 which he exceeded by 6 points in 2022, then down to .248 and .269 the next few years.  Since his defensive game was once solid but has also weakened, the idea of Designated Hitter could make sense if he indeed could provide star level offense.  Whether or not he can is a matter of debate.

Next on the list could be other reserve players.  If Tyrone Taylor is starting it leaves Jose Siri.  Or flip the coin.  Neither of them have shown the ability to be consistent starters in the majors, let alone Designated Hitters.  Backup catcher Luis Torrens doesn’t seem appropriate in this mix either. 

Then you have the younger but not yet proven players hoping to come north with the team.  Luisangel Acuna has power and speed, but there are questions about his batting average given his substandard AAA year in 2024.  

Ronny Mauricio also had speed and has power but no one is sure how well hi knee will be to allow him to resume 20+ stolen bases.  He did hit .292 in a recent full minor league season but he’s never been known as a high average type of guy.  It is predicted he could develop 30 HR power which combined with speed could make him an interesting choice but the jury’s still out on his health and the rust that comes from having missed an entire year.

So as you see, there is not a lot in the exiting inventory of possible Designated Hitters.  It is for this reason you are starting to hear noise about the Mets being interested in bringing Jesse Winker back.  Do bear in mind that in his best ever year Winker made the All Star team in 2021 when for the year he hit .305 with 24 home runs and 71 RBIs.  

That season was clearly the exception as his career average dropped to .262 and his run production numbers stagnated.  He’s an OK player as a member of the bench but overall doesn’t seem like he’d be any better than Starling Marte at DH. 

Now much more interesting players do exist who could fill this role.  Anthony Santander does have a QO attached to him but it’s hard not to be interested in someone who hit 44 HRs and drove in over 100 runs last year and also is a switch hitter.  That kind of productivity combined with Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos and hopefully a returning Pete Alonso would be pretty lethal to other teams.  

Bounce back years from Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Alvarez and Jeff McNeil would make the Mets even more dangerous to opponents.  Obviously he’s going to cost over $20 million per year and the question remains for how many seasons will he consider a minimum?

Still unsigned Jurickson Profar had a career year in 2024 yet the Padres made no effort to retain him.  Did he finally emerge and turn into the player he’d always been projected to be or was it a matter of a single good year for which he expects to be overpaid in the future?

There’s a pretty steep drop-off in the free agent marketplace of unsigned players who have not yet been secured by the 29 other teams actively seeking to strengthen their rosters.  When all else fails, J.D. Martinez and Daniel Vogelbach are still unemployed, too.

There’s always the trade market...