In Search For An Outfielder – Arizona Diamondbacks

So far, we have identified two outfielders on two teams ripe for picking:

                Atlanta – Reed Johnson

Baltimore – Nolan Reimold

                Boston – Jerry Sands

I spend no time here trying to figure out who to trade them or whether the Mets should just keep checking the waiver wire each day to see if my choice becomes available. All I do here is try to duplicate, for you, what I assume someone (with a VP on his business card) is doing in the Mets office this week.

We now move on to Arizona, where there are currently eight (8) outfielders on the 40-man… far too many:

                Keon Broxton – bats right – 2012/A+ - 19-HR, 62-RBI

Adam Eaton – pre-ARB – 2012-MLB: 85-AB, .259 (#6 prospect) -

Eric Hinske – signed $1.35/2013

Jason Kubel – FA 2014 – 2012-MLB: 506-AB, .253

Alfredo Marte – bats right – pre-ARB -  AA: 20-HRs – protected from Rule 5

Gerardo Parra – ARB-2 – 2012-MLB: 385-AB, .273

A.J. Pollack – bats right – pre-ARB -  2012-MLB: 81-AB, .247 (#7 prospect)

Justin Upton – bats right - $9,958,333/2013, $14.458mil/2014, $14,708mil/2015 – 2012: .280

We know all the talk about moving Upton. I honestly don’t think the Mets are afraid of taking on this contract, especially since it actually is relatively cheap in relationship to Upton’s talent. His special relationship with David Wright would make this magical. The problem is who would the Mets offer? This would cost the Mets either Wheeler, Harvey, or d’Arnaud and that’s just not going to happen.

So, for now, Upton, Kubel, and Parra are everyday starters and the recent addition of Hinske sets him up for the 4^th outfielder. Eaton will get first shot at replacing Kubel in 2014, which leaves the righty Pollack for the Mets to target into:

(Update...  OF Cody Ross has signed a 3-year deal with Arizona, which just makes things more crowded here. Kubel will probably be traded, but I don't see the Mets wanting someone that goes FA in a year...)

Mets Target:  A.J. Pollack – 1^st round pick in 2009 out of the University of Notre Dame…  MLB ready… will play 2013 as a 25-year old…  lifetime .303 minor league batting average… 67 stolen bases in 2 ½ seasons… natural CFer… only 5 professional errors (.992 CF fielding percentage).