Kevin Kiermaier

Position: CF

B/T: L/R

Age: 33 (04/22/1990)

2023 Traditional Stats: 129 G, 408 PA, .265/.322/.419/.741, 8 HR, 36 RBI, 21 2B, 29 BB, 14 SB

2023 Advanced Stats: 104 wRC+, 21.1% SO%, 7.1 % BB%, .321 BABIP, .301 xwOBA, 2.2 fWAR, 3.9 bWAR

RUNDOWN

The Tampa Bay Rays selected Kevin Kiermaier in the 31st round of the 2010 MLB Draft out of Parkland College. For the 2012 and 2013 minor league seasons, he was named the Best Defensive Player in the Rays’ organization. He made his major league debut in the 2013 Wild Card tie-breaker game against the Texas Rangers, where the Rays won.

Kiermaier continued to earn defensive praise in the Rays organization, earning a Gold Glove Award in 2015, 2016, and 2019 and a Platinum Glove in 2015. He earned his fourth Gold Glove Award in 2023 with the Toronto Blue Jays. He led MLB in dWAR in 2015 with 4.6 and led the American League in dWAR in 2016 with 3.0.

A career .249/.309/.409/.718 hitter, Kiermaier’s greatest strength has always been his work in the field. While he landed in the top five in the American League for triples seven of his years in the majors, his speed is another asset. According to Statcast, he is in the 87th percentile for sprint speed around the bases. In the field, he is in the 98th percentile in his range in the outfield (OAA) and 95th percentile in arm strength.

His strikeout rate to walk rate is a bit hefty, but his 2023 strikeout rate was his lowest since 2019. While he doesn’t draw the most walks, he had a bounce-back season in 2023 and reestablished his value.

Staying on the field has been tough for Kiermaier. Dating back to the 2017 season, he played in more than 100 games only three times. Hip inflammation, a torn ligament in his thumb, and a hip fracture are just some of the injuries Kiermaier has dealt with in his illustrious MLB career.

CONTRACT

After spending the first eight seasons of his MLB career with the Rays, Kiermaier signed a one-year deal with the Blue Jays in the 2022 offseason for $9 million. Spotrac predicts that Kiermaier will land a two-year, $14 million deal this offseason. For a player who put up one of his best seasons and stayed healthy while winning a Gold Glove, it seems like a steal.

Comparable to players like Mark Canha or Tommy Pham, MLBTradeRumors, meanwhile, thinks Kiermaier will net a two-year, $26 million contract. He’s in a better position than last season, and only Brenton Doyle of the Rockies was slightly better in center this past year than Kiermaier.

A multi-year deal is all but likely for the 33-year-old.

RECOMMENDATION

This is a deal I think the Mets should do in a heartbeat. Kiermaier is the exact type of player David Stearns has prioritized this offseason — defense first — and Kiermaier comes with a proven track record.

With Brandon Nimmo penciled in at center, a simple shift to either left or right doesn’t seem out of the question for Kiermaier to take over. With question marks galore surrounding the health and productivity of Starling Marte and the recent injury to Ronny Mauricio, the Mets need an everyday outfielder.

A two-year deal seems plausible, and depending on Kiermaier’s health next year, he can shift into a fourth outfielder position with promotions of Drew Gilbert and more.