On Wednesday evening, the three newest position players to join the Mets were introduced in a virtual press conference. Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, and Mark Canha will don New York’s blue and orange.

“Adding these players really solidifies our lineup. Each player provides positional flexibility and depth,” Mets general manager Billy Eppler said.

“Contributing to our culture was important to us,” added Eppler on what the team sought on the free-agent market.

Eppler went on to emphasize the idea of adding players that would fit well into the New York Mets culture.

“It’s definitely an element and criteria we look for,” Eppler said. “How that group integrates and supports each other is very important. Will our players make their teammates more significant than they are? We build that type of culture within the organization. We are excited to bring this group into the fold with the guys that are already here.”

The newly-signed Met players spoke highly of the organization, making it clear that Queens, NY is the place they want to be.

“I’ve had a good relationship with Robinson Cano, and I’ve always wanted to be his teammate,” Marte said. “I have a lot of family in New York and I felt like it was the right time for me to take on this opportunity.”

Marte didn’t speak to Cano until after signing with the Mets but they’ve discussed the opportunity to be teammates in the past. He was one of the first players to reach out to Marte.

The former Diamondback All-Star Escobar echoed a similar sentiment.

“I feel like my experience and energy will allow me to have a great experience going forward in these next couple of years,” Escobar said.

“It’s nice to feel wanted and the Mets made it clear that they wanted me, and they demonstrated that in various ways,” Canha said. “I’m ready for the big stage and New York is a big stage. I had the impression that the Mets were going for it and I wanted to play for a contender. My family is very excited to be in New York.”

Canha pointed out a difference in signing with New York.

“I’m used to a little less exciting offseasons with my previous teams, so this was all new and very exciting to me,” said Canha.

Canha has played his entire career with the Athletics. Both he and Marte left them for the Mets last week.

But it wasn’t just the change of scenery that made Canha want to become a Metropolitan. He and his family were touched by a gesture made by team president Sandy Alderson and Eppler to make the Mets his top destination.

“Sandy and Billy actually came out to see me in person, and nobody else did that,” Canha said.”I didn’t think much of it at the time, and I didn’t know much about the Mets before, so this gave me really good insight. This very much felt like a family and they cared very much about my wife being there as well.”

Now all three are officially Mets and no one was as excited as them seeing the flurry of moves the front office made in quick succession.

“I can’t even express how happy I am with all the moves the team made,” Escobar said. “I feel like it’s going to be incredible chemistry in the clubhouse that will enable us to win a lot of games. The front office deserves a ton of credit for all the moves they’ve made thus far.”

Much of the press conference focused on the players’ positional flexibility and their ability to play all around the diamond. On that note, Eppler was asked if Marte was a lock to replace Brandon Nimmo in center field.

“We haven’t decided right now. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Brandon [Nimmo] yet, but we all spoke about moving around [the field] a lot,” Eppler said.

‘I don’t care,” said Canha, with a slight laugh, when asked about where he desires to play defensively. “Wherever you need me, I’m happy to go there.”

“We’re here to do whatever to help the team win,” added Escobar. “We want to give the manager flexibility to make different moves.” His preference remains to play third base.

Eppler went on to further break down his defensive philosophy.

“I love players that can play on the dirt and the grass,” Eppler said. “I think it opens up so many different options for the manager. It also helps to provide off days for somebody that has maybe played 11, 14 games in a row. If we can do that and feel good about the names going in, I think that’s going to serve the club well.”

When asked about his thoughts on the team’s culture, Mets president Sandy Alderson pointed out that the team made several signings last year as well, which will likely aid the ballclub as they are now somewhat veterans on the team.

“I think the dynamic changed during the course of the season, and that is not unusual when the team is winning versus a period when they are not as successful,” said Alderson. “What I’m hopeful is those that were new last year, become more comfortable and accommodating of the demands that are placed on them in a place like New York.

“I think these three guys are going to have just as big an impact [as Scherzer].”