Juan Lagares passed his physical and the New York Mets officially announced that they have agreed to terms on a contract that with run through 2019 with a club option for 2020.
“This is a place I want to be,” said Lagares. “The Mets signed me when I was 16. I’m really excited for this season and the future.”
Lagares, 27, earned his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award last year. Lagares finished second among major league outfielders with 28 defensive runs saved in 2014, despite playing 372.0 fewer innings than leader Jason Heyward, who had 32.
He had six assists, with three getting a runner at the plate. Lagares’ Ultimate Zone Rating per 150 games (UZR/150) was 25.3, second among all major leaguers.
The 6-1, 215-pounder hit .281 (117-416) with 46 runs scored, 24 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 47 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 116 games last season.
Lagares established a franchise rookie record with 15 outfield assists in 2013 which was also the third-most in the majors. He was named to the Wilson NL Defensive Player of the Year team.
April 1
According to Jim Bowden of ESPN, outfielder Juan Lagares and the Mets have agreed on a 4-year extension with a club option.
The deal is expected to be worth $23 million and covers all of Lagares’ arbitration years and one year of free agency.
Lagares is already signed for 2015, so this new deal starts in 2016 and runs through 2019 with a club option for 2020 worth $9.5 million according to Jeff Passan.
Bowden points out that Lagares is considered the best defensive center fielder in baseball, but has also made huge strides offensively this spring under new hitting coach Kevin Long.
Lagares, 26, earned his first Gold Glove in 2014, and has looked amazing at the plate this Spring, batting .345 with a 1.055 OPS in 60 plate appearance with six doubles, a triple and three home runs.
“I love the Mets,” Lagares said Wednesday. “That’s the team that gave me the opportunity when I was 16 years old. That’s the team that gave me the opportunity to play in the big leagues. … This is where I want to be.”
“He’s going to be a really, really good player,” manager Terry Collins said, according to MLB.com. “We’ve said that from the time he got to the major leagues.”
“He’s a special player defensively. He’s working on every phase of the game daily. We’re very, very excited that he’s going to be our center fielder because he’s going to be a solid player, and he’s just going to get better and better.”
Lagares is MMO’s Breakout Player of the Year for 2015 and is a rising star in my opinion with many All Star appearances in his future.
(Updated 4/2)
