Who’s on second?
On Thursday, Marc Carig of Newsday mentioned several options the Mets could target to fill their second base need. Among them were Jason Kipnis, Josh Harrison and Cesar Hernandez. He also said Jed Lowrie and Starlin Castro are not likely to be considered.
Hernandez figures to require a nice haul of prospects which the Mets don’t have, so I believe the two most likely trade targets are Kipnis and Harrison.
While Ian Kinsler would have helped solidify the keystone, he refused to waive his no-trade clause to come to New York. However, Kipnis or Harrison both have benefits they could provide the Mets.
Let’s start with the former.
The 30-year-old Kipnis is coming off an injury-riddled season that saw him appear in just 90 games. In 373 plate appearances, he hit a dismal .232/.291/.414 with 12 homers, 35 RBI, an 82 wRC+ and a .300 wOBA.
Across 620 2/3 innings at second in 2017, he had a -1.5 UZR and -2 defensive runs saved (DRS).
However, this is just one year removed from him hitting .275/.343/.469 with a 116 wRC+ and .347 wOBA. He was also much better in the field, as he was good for 4 DRS and a 7.3 UZR in 1,309 1/3 innings in 2016.
The Mets reportedly had serious talks with the Cleveland Indians about trading for Kipnis at the Winter Meetings according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation. Cotillo also said there is traction in talks and Kipnis looks like a better fit than Kinsler was.
In a column by Joel Sherman of the New York Post last month, he highlights a move the Mets could make for Kipnis. He has the Mets trading right-hander Robert Gsellman and infield prospect Luis Guillorme in exchange for the second baseman.
“While Kipnis was sidelined, Jose Ramirez shifted to second and emerged an MVP possibility, forcing Kipnis to center field (where he had not played since college),” Sherman said in his column.
“Cleveland is a win-now team, yet still always has to worry about what is now a larger payroll than ever before. One NL executive said he thought the Indians were very open to moving Kipnis and might even eat dollars to do so.
“The Mets do not have a ton of financial wiggle room or trade commodities. Gsellman and Seth Lugo will probably intrigue analytic-leaning teams that see mostly untapped upside potential there if their stuff is deployed in a different way. Lugo, though, has a chronic elbow issue that lowers his trade value.”
Kipnis has either two years at $30.5 million or (if his 2020 option is picked up) three years at $44.5 million left on his contract.
The 30-year-old Harrison put up a 3.3 WAR season with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2017, hitting to a .272/.339/.432 clip with 16 homers and 47 RBI. He also had a 104 wRC+ and .332 wOBA in 542 plate appearances.
Harrison is more versatile than Kipnis as he appeared at both the keystone and hot corner a significant amount in 2017, while also appearing at all three outfield positions.
He spent the most time at second, however, posting 6 DRS and a 0.3 UZR in 653 1/3 innings. At third, he was good for 2 DRS and a 0.9 UZR across 341 2/3 innings.
There is one year left on Harrison’s contract, with back-to-back team options for the following seasons.
What is most appealing about Kipnis is that he has proven to be a solid second baseman in the past and is just one year removed from a solid campaign at the position. However, Harrison would provide more versatility and the Mets could even choose to flip flop him and Asdrubal Cabrera if they so desire.
Perhaps what concerns me the most for Kipnis is his health and if he will rebound in 2018. As for Harrison, he did have an All-Star year this past season, but his numbers at the dish in 2015 and 2016 leave something to be desired (98 wRC+/.313 wOBA and 86 wRC+/.301 wOBA, respectively).
I think if the Mets could swing a deal to acquire both, it would really help bolster their team on both sides of the ball, with Kipnis manning second a majority of the time and Harrison being a true super utility man. However, with the lack of prospects and overall low payroll, it seems highly unlikely.
But if I could build a package around Gsellman and a couple other prospects for either player, I would pull the trigger.
What say you, Mets fans? Which player would you be more inclined for New York to trade for?
