According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Mets have shifted their interest to Brewers outfielder Gerardo Parra. This comes a day after Joel Sherman indicated the Mets are now targeting a left-handed hitting outfielder.
Parra, 28, has become very popular of late as more and more teams realize his value and versatility. The two-time gold Glover has really opened some eyes with how he’s produced since being shifted from a utility outfielder into an everyday leadoff role.
He’s slashing at .313/.348/.500 with 23 doubles, nine home runs, 30 RBI and a 130 OPS+ in 311 plate appearances this season. What’s not to like…
July 21
While the Mets continue scouring the market for a big bat either at shortstop or in the outfield, is a lot of buzz about a lot of players ranging from Justin Upton and Troy Tulowitzki to Carlos Gomez end Ben Zobrist.
All of those players would improve the lineup significantly, there’s no doubt about that. But given the cost both in top prospects and dollars I wonder if it’s the right way to go both in the short-term and the longer view.
The way I see it, the Mets would be far better off looking for that offensive upgrade in the outfield, and the player I’d love to see them deal for is the Brewers’ Gerardo Parra.
Parra, 28, is reportedly available and is currently batting .313 with a .848 OPS, 131 OPS+ and 1.4 WAR in 90 games for Milwaukee. He provides some speed, some power, professional at-bats, and can play all three outfield positions. He’s a very heady player.
Additionally, Parra would give the Mets the true leadoff hitter they’ve lacked for the last four years. Parra has been a catalyst for the Brewers since he took over leadoff duties, batting .363 in 22 games in that spot with nine doubles, five home runs, a .400 on-base percentage and a 1.026 OPS. This gap to gap linedrive hitter would prosper at Citi Field.
It now appears, that is if you believe the latest rumors from Jon Heyman, Joel Sherman, Ken Rosenthal and Mark Craig, that the stars may be aligning for the Mets to land the lefty-swinging outfielder.
He seems to fit all of the team’s stated needs quite perfectly in his handedness, defensive acuity, offensive offerings and versatility.
We need a leadoff hitter. We need someone who can play the game right. And mostly we need a bat that can spark and ignite this offense. I believe Parra can be all that, so I hope it happens.
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