Jon Heyman of CBSSports reports that the Cubs are among the teams interested in free agent outfielder Denard Span. Heyman also mentions that top free agent Jason Heyward is also a target for Chicago.
Meanwhile, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation says that Gerardo Parra has multiple three year offers in hand. The Royals, Giants and Cubs are among the teams in the mix, but Parra is hopeful that a team will be willing to sign him for four years.
Both Span and Parra are two of the Mets main targets this offseason, and they appear to be great fits for the team in center field.
December 6
Even with the Mets making an aggressive push for free agent Ben Zobrist, they are still determined to add an outfielder via free agency whether or not they end up landing Zobrist. According to Marc Craig of Newsday the front office views free agents Denard Span and Gerardo Parra as ideal fits for the team.
Assistant General Manager John Ricco says that payroll limitations won’t be an issue even if they end up signing Zobrist. “I don’t think we’re operating under it’s either or at this point. I think we can do what we need to do.”
While Span’s 2015 season was cut short due to a hip injury, he could be a possible buy low option for New York.
Over the past several seasons, Span has been a dynamic spark plug at the top of the Nationals’ lineup. He’s batted .292 over the past three years with a .345 OPS, and has averaged 21 steals over that span. In 275 plate appearances this season, he hit .301/.365/.431 with a 120 wRC+ .
Meanwhile, Parra slashed .291/.328/.452 with a 108 wRC+ in 589 plate appearances this year for the Brewers and Orioles. He also hit well against right handed pitching, sporting a .345 wOBA, which makes him a great option to platoon with Juan Lagares.
It’s also worth noting that both players have seen their defense dip in recent years according to advanced metrics. Span’s UZR was -4.9 this year and -4.7 in 2014, while Parra’s drop-off has even been more pronounced with a -18.1 UZR last season compared to 0.1 in 2014.
Still, it appears the Mets have narrowed down their top center field options down to these two players. While they were once interested Dexter Fowler, Carig says their interest in him has cooled.
