According to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN, the Mets have left handed outfielders Will Venable and Alejandro De Aza on their radar in addition to Denard Span. Both players are potential options to platoon with Juan Lagares in center field, but Crasnick says the Mets are slow-playing the market.
Venable, 33, batted .244/.320/.350 with six home runs and 16 steals in 349 plate appearances for the Padres and Rangers in 2015. He’s an appealing target for the Mets due to his solid .745 OPS against right handed pitching in his career, and he’s also an asset on defense.. He is capable of playing all three outfield spots, and had a +1 UZR rating this year,
Meanwhile, De Aza posted a .262/.333.422 triple slash line with the Giants, Orioles and Red Sox this year. He crushed seven home runs with a 104 OPS + in 365 plate appearances, and he also hit well against right handed pitching with an .800 OPS.
However, the 31 year old outfielder has declined defensively in recent years according to advanced metrics. He had a -1.1 UZR rating in 2015, and was also rated negatively the last three seasons.
The Mets appear to be patiently waiting out the market, but both players seem like decent fallback options if they are unable to land a top hitter. It’s worth noting that Venable has strong ties to the Mets’ Front Office since he played for Sandy Alderson and Paul Depodesta during his time in San Diego.
