Even with the Mets loosening their purse strings to sign Jay Bruce on a three-year pact, the team still has work to do.

With Howie Kendrick returning to the Nationals on Monday, second base options for New York to acquire continue to dwindle. However, they could instead shift their focus to the hot corner, while moving Asdrubal Cabrera to the keystone.

Two names that have been tied to the Mets as of late are Mike Moustakas and Todd Frazier. The general consensus has been that Moustakas is the more appealing name, so I wanted to do some research to see who would be the best fit. Let’s start with the former.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect to Moustakas’s game is his knack for clubbing the long ball. He had 38 home runs in 2017, coupled with 85 RBI. He also hit to a .272/.314/.521 clip with a 114 wRC+ and .345 wOBA across 598 plate appearances.

In the field last year, he spent the entirety of his 1,093.0 innings at third. He had -8 defensive runs saved (DRS) and a -3.1 UZR.

It was by far his worst year defensively, and while it could have just been an aberration, he has proven to be an average to below average fielder for the vast majority of his career, and has failed to match his 2012 season where he was good for 14 DRS and a 15.8 UZR in 1,314.1 innings played.

Another thing that dissuades me from Moustakas is that apart from 2015 where he logged a .348 OBP, he ultimately fails to get on base consistently. His 38 bombs are appealing for sure, but prior to that, he had never eclipsed 22.

While his price tag surely won’t be nearly what it was thought to be at the beginning of the offseason, chances are he can still land himself a multi-year deal. If the Mets were able to snag him for one or two-year contract on a semi-team friendly deal, I would say go for it, but if any more than that is just asking for trouble.

Now let’s talk about the latter, Todd Frazier.

The big knock on the Toms River, New Jersey native is his low batting average. However, he more than makes up for it by providing some pop in the middle of the lineup, while being able to get on base.

The 31-year-old split the 2017 season between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees, appearing in 147 games and hitting to a .213/.344/.428 clip with 27 homers and 76 RBI. He also had a 108 wRC+ and .335 wOBA in 576 plate appearances.

However, what I really like about Frazier is the steady glove he would provide at third base. In just over 1,100 innings at the hot corner in 2017, Frazier was good for 10 DRS and logged a 6.7 UZR.

Coupled with Jay Bruce, bringing Frazier into the locker room would also be a big boost for a team that is greatly filled with young players. Plus, he will likely end up signing a shorter-term contract which could be appealing to the Mets.

All in all, upon doing my research, I have to give Frazier the edge when taking into consideration the Mets need. Frazier was worth nearly double Moustakas’s WAR in 2017 (3.4 to 1.8). Frazier also has a greater career WAR (22.0 to 11.0) over the last seven seasons. Also, he is a beacon of health, appearing in at least 145 games every year since his first full season in the league, 2012.

For their careers, Todd Frazier has a higher wRC+ (111) and wOBA (.336) than Mike Moustakas, who has a career 96 wRC+ and .315 wOBA.

Frazier has also been better defensively at third base than Moustakas through his career, besting him in DRS (30 to Moustakas’s 7) and UZR (27.9 to Moustakas’ 24.5).

Each player would give the Mets a boost at the position, but Frazier will likely cost less, won’t require a long term deal, and still manages to outshine Moustakas in several very important categories. The latter might be the sexier name, but don’t discount the former because he quietly and consistently performs.