It has been mostly a quiet offseason for the New York Mets. After signing Yoenis Cespedes there has been a lull in front office activity by General Manager Sandy Alderson.
One of the biggest stories to follow in the offseason has been whether Alderson will trade an outfielder. Early reports showed that the Mets field calls on both Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce. More recently Bruce has been named as the more likely trade bait.
However, on Thursday Alderson told the media that he may keep all his outfielders after all. This means a Mets outfield could consist of Michael Conforto, Juan Lagares, Cespedes, Bruce, and Granderson. That leaves out Brandon Nimmo who may need to spend time in Triple-A based on the roster space. That is five players who could start and have started in the past. He admitted that playing time would be an issue if all the outfielders were on the team, but that it could work out.
Bruce was traded to the Mets on August 1 from the Cincinnati Reds where he played his whole career. Bruce was in the midst of one of his best seasons until he was traded to the Mets.
His first month on the Mets was a struggle as he batted .183 with only had two home runs, six runs, and six RBI. When the Mets acquired him, many fans probably expected a large offensive boost as he did come to the team as the National League RBI leader. He also came to the Mets as a hot hitter in July. Aside from his .218 batting average, he had an impressive eight home runs, 21 RBI, and 15 runs.
Bruce did settle in towards the end of the season. In his last eight games he batted .480, hit four home runs, drove in eight RBI, and scored six runs.
New York isn’t the easiest place to play for some major leaguers. Some formerly intimidating hitters have come to the Mets and folded in the New York spotlight.
To see Bruce come around toward the end of the season was promising. Also knowing he won’t have to fill in for Cespedes or carry the team, should lift some pressure off him.
If all the outfielders are kept, the real task will be on Terry Collins and the allocation of playing time that he will give each outfielder. Conforto took a step back last year and playing everyday may be the best option for him. Lagares used to be the Mets starting center fielder and now he may find himself as their fifth outfielder. To give those two time, Bruce and Granderson may be riding the pine for more games than they usually would.
However, if Collins handles the situation correctly it could be a positive. He would be working with three hitters who have combined for 10 seasons of 30 or more home runs, two players who have won Gold Glove Awards, and three All-Stars. Even Conforto who hasn’t yet achieved much has had sparks of brilliance. He was one of the few hitters who produced in the 2015 World Series as he batted .333 with two home runs and four RBI.
The offseason is not over yet and plans change often. The Mets may find themselves with a surplus of outfielders after all, but that is much better than 2013 when Alderson remarked, “Outfield? What outfield? We’re probably gonna have to bring the fences in another 150 feet!”
