With the signing of Nicholas Castellanos agreeing to a deal with the Cincinnati Reds Monday afternoon, all of the top tier free agents are gone.
But there are some intriguing names that could potentially be a great fit in Queens.
Russell Martin
With the Mets backup catchers position questionable at best, a veteran like Martin is someone who can come in and be a great veteran leader, ala Todd Frazier. The 36 year-old catcher’s offensive production has disintegrated. He had a career-low 83 wRC+ in 2019, but that’s not the reason why he’d be brought in. His defense is still very solid, and his framing ability behind the plate is elite (ranked 17th among 113 catchers in 2019).
The catcher’s position in Major League Baseball has transitioned into a two man position. Only seven catchers played 120 games or more in 2019. The Mets pitching staff is one that could also benefit from Martin as well. It takes a certain catcher to make Syndergaard to feel comfortable, and Marcus Stroman played with Martin in Toronto. Martin is an upgrade over Tomas Nido, though Nido is is out of options and that would be a consideration in any other catcher getting a Major League deal.
Brock Holt
The 31-year-old can play every position on the diamond, besides behind the plate, and is pretty solid in the batters box. His offense has been better than league average the last two seasons, 109 wRC+ in 2018 and 103 wRC+ in 2019. Holt posted a 1.4 fWAR in 2018 and 1.3 fWAR in 2019 as a utility man.
The 2015 All-Star would give the Mets protection behind the unknown status of Jed Lowrie. Having a bench piece that can play multiple positions and can handle the bat well, would be a great depth piece on any team.
Collin McHugh
The Mets brought back former draft pick Rob Whalen earlier this week, so why not bring another one?
Collin McHugh is a perfect example of having to adapt in order to win. McHugh was a starter for the Houston Astros, starting 90 games over a three year span. Once Houston added better pitchers, he moved to the bullpen. Although he is a guy who’s had some injury problems, adding him to the Mets bullpen is something that could be beneficial.
During his time in the Astros pen, he has struck out 176 batters in 147 innings over the last two seasons. McHugh also allowed only 107 hits over that time. He could be an important depth piece that has pitched in multiple different roles.
Wilmer Flores
Alright, get your tissues ready.
The former Met fan favorite is coming off a 2019 in Arizona in which he performed well offensively, but also dealt with injuries. Although he did hit .317/.361/.487 in 285 plate appearances, he spent a lot of time on the injured list, only appearing in 89 games.
We know what he can bring to the field, average at best defense with not much versatility, relegating to the corner infield positions, and the occasional appearance at second base.
We could go back and dive into all of the fantastic memories Flores brought us during his time in Queens, but it just does not make much sense to bring him back in 2020.
Depth can play an important role over a long season, and the Mets should certainly continue looking at adding pieces that can help for 2020.
