Reese Kaplan -- To the Mets DH Often Meant "Doesn't Hit"

Aside from all of the dying Roki Sasaki news, the interminable Pete Alonso will he or won’t he pieces and the various rumors floating around about other free agents and trades, it’s once again time to come back to the question of Designated Hitter.  The Mets have failed pretty miserably in the various people they’ve trotted out their to be their DH and still nothing clear is indicated that 2025 will be any better.

Yes, we all saw the headlines about the Mets pursuing Teoscar Hernandez who returned to the Dodgers.  Part of it was a three year commitment vs. a two year one, part of it was the familiarity with the environment and part of it is the seemingly indestructible team the Dodgers have built that before a new season begins seems ready to take the top seed position for reaching the World Series.  I don’t blame Hernandez for taking the Dodgers offer given its term and the club’s high level of projected success. 

Every now and then you do have to ask questions about the Mets ownership and front office when they think that the Juan Soto contract alone will have changed all of baseball’s perception about what the Mets are, who they will become and what they represent.  It’s becoming abundantly clear that the addition of the best available player in baseball doesn’t mean people are necessarily lining up to become a part of the Citifield squad in the hope that they will contend at the same level as the Dodgers.

So now the DH question arises once again.  It was interesting to see Hernandez floated as both an outfielder and a DH.  Maybe David Stearns is acknowledging that trotting out say Starling Marte in that role is not going to give you the run production you really need from someone whose role by definition is to hit.

Headlines emerged that the Mets are considering a reunion with Jesse Winker.  Yes, he seemed to be well liked by his teammates and in his on-again/off-again way did contribute a bit more than some folks expected.  However, he’s not a full time DH to play every day and would need a platoon partner possibly but not necessarily named J.D. Martinez.  So is the appeal in Winker a half season of familiarity or is it his $2 million price tag he received as a 2024 salary? 

I notice that while this front office is much better at protecting leaks on who is or is not on the radar for a Mets contract, we have not heard anything about the still unemployed Anthony Santander who outhit Pete Alonso last year but a considerable margin.  Nor have we heard more solid information about the acquisition of other proven hitters like Alex Bregman or Nolan Arenado whose defensive acumen puts them in on-the-field roles rather than only earning their pay with a stick in their hands.

Some of the previously mentioned possibilities for DH are now off the board, too.  Gleyber Torres will not be standing in a government office applying for food stamps as he has found a bigger paycheck in Detroit.  Each day you can read the headlines and see who is no longer available and you’re left scratching your head wondering were the Mets even considering this particular player or is there a double secret probation protecting access to what the DH plans actually are? 

Right now the fans are probably more frustrated than the media with the lack of action in this regard with AAAA players like Daniel Vogelbach as likely to become a Met again as would someone much more productive.  Some action in this regard would put a lot of hearts and stomachs at ease.

Please do SOMETHING besides simply waiting to see the resources become fewer and fewer.