5 Under-The-Radar FAs the Mets Should Target

The importance of improving on the margins or acquiring under-the-radar talent can’t be overstated enough. It pushes teams over the edge in the playoffs and keeps them going during the dog days of summer. It’s understandable for Mets fans to be excited about the team’s status as big-name hunters in free agency, but today we are going to go over five players that should still intrigue them despite not having quite as much buzz surrounding their names.

1). Wil Myers, 1B/OF, Padres 

With the Mets need for power as well as reinforcements against lefties, Myers would appear to be a perfect fit. He slashed .261/.315/.381 with 104 wRC+ and 1.0 fWAR over 77 games in 2022, but crushed southpaws with a slash line of .264/.320/.495 to go with 130 wRC+. And while Citi Field is also a pitcher’s park, Myers could benefit from getting away from Petco Park, as he recorded a 75 wRC+ at home this season while putting up a 131 wRC+ on the road.

Another advantage of potentially adding him to the roster would be his defense, as he recorded three Outs Above Average this season with two coming in right field and one at first base. He is also an above-average base runner, which could do wonders for a Mets team that finished in the bottom five of FanGraphs’ Base Running (BsR) metric. 

Myers has a club option worth $20 million for 2023 that is likely to be declined by San Diego, meaning he will reach free agency for the first time in his career. With uncertainty around the roles Francisco Álvarez and Mark Vientos will play next season while also taking into account the struggles of Darin Ruf, Myers could be a solid option if nothing else falls into place this offseason.

2). Jace Peterson, 3B, Brewers 

Peterson is the type of player that any roster would benefit from having. He slashed .236/.316/.382 to go with a 96 wRC+ and 2.2 fWAR in 113 games this season while being a difference-maker in the field and on the basepaths. He recorded 7 Outs Above Average at third base, which tied him for fifth-most at the position, and got time at both corner outfield spots as well as first and second base in the process. As for his base running, he finished each of the last two seasons with double-digit stolen base totals and had a 5.2 BsR in 2022, placing him just outside the top 20 in the league.

While offense isn’t his calling card, Peterson has 14 home runs over the past two seasons in 630 plate appearances and put up a 105 wRC+ against lefties, showing that he is more than capable of making an impact on that side of the ball. His elite defense at third would be of immense help to the Mets when considering just how mightily Eduardo Escobar struggled there, and his versatility and speed means the team could get creative in how they choose to deploy him.

3). Corey Kluber, SP, Rays

Nobody should expect Kluber to revert to his 2014-2018 form when he made three All-Star teams and won two AL Cy Young awards. However, his 2022 campaign proved that he still can be a solid piece in the back end of the rotation.

He made 31 starts and threw 164 innings this season while putting up 3.0 fWAR and a 4.31 ERA. His FIP, xFIP, and SIERA were 3.57, 3.85, and 3.92 respectively, signaling that his results are slightly misleading and not entirely indicative of just how well he pitched. His 7.63 K/9 represented a career-low, but his 1.15 BB/9 was the lowest rate in the league among qualified starters and he excelled at limiting hard contact.

Kluber’s age and injury history aren’t something that can be ignored, as he only made 24 starts from 2019 to 2021 and will be turning 37 at the start of the 2023 season. Despite that, he has familiarity with guys like Carlos Carrasco and Francisco Lindor and would bring extensive postseason experience as a potential replacement for Taijuan Walker all while being a high-floor option if healthy.

4). Pierce Johnson, RP, Padres

Johnson had a career resurgence with San Diego after returning to MLB following a one-year stint in 2019 with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball. The former first-round pick appeared in 87 games from 2020 to 2021 and recorded a 3.09 ERA and 1.2 fWAR during that period. 2022 wasn’t kind to Johnson though, as he was incredibly unlucky both in terms of injury and results. He went down in April with right elbow tendinitis, which would sideline him until September, limiting him to just 15 games. In those appearances, he recorded a 5.02 ERA despite his xERA, FIP, xFIP, and SIERA all being under 3.

Johnson would be an ideal fit as a late-inning reliever and somewhat mirrors Seth Lugo as a curveball and fastball heavy pitcher. His lack of control is the only real issue in his game, as otherwise he has been consistent over the past three seasons and excels at punching hitters out, evidenced by his 13.19 K/9 this season. The Mets need any bullpen help they can get, and landing Johnson would be a promising development.

5). Matt Moore, RP, Rangers 

After primarily starting for the first decade of his career, Moore made the transition into becoming a reliever in 2022 and it may have been exactly what the doctor ordered. Appearing in 63 games, Moore finished 2022 with a 1.95 ERA and 1.3 fWAR. His 10.09 K/9 was the highest mark of his career over a full season, and his 2.98 FIP shows that his overall success wasn’t just a fluke. An underrated part of Moore’s season is the fact that while he held his own against lefties, he absolutely shut down righties, as they slashed .165/.282/.255 against him. 

Perhaps the most substantial development for Moore was the success of his four-seam fastball. In 2021, batters hit .303 with a .533 slugging percentage against it. In 2022, batters only hit it at a .179 clip while slugging .358 against it. The heightened use of his curveball was an effective and fruitful change in his pitch mix too, as was his decision to completely remove his cutter. 

The only knock on Moore’s campaign would be his 4.62 BB/9, continuing his control woes that have hovered over him since he came into the league. Aside from that, he largely reinvented himself and has seemingly rejuvenated his career. The Mets have an obvious need for a lefty reliever with Joely Rodríguez reaching free agency and David Peterson’s role unclear moving forward, and Moore represents a logical fit for the roster. 

Free agency represents a time of optimism and change within MLB, and each of these five players should have the Mets attention as depth pieces for the 2023 season.