Mets Infield Is Loaded After Signing Carlos Correa

In a shocking overnight move, Carlos Correa will reportedly be joining the Mets on a 12-year, $315 million deal after his agreement with the Giants fell through at the last minute.

With Correa, the Mets now have the best infield in baseball. Correa is a two-time All-Star, former Rookie of the Year, and Gold Glove winner who will slide over to third base in Queens. Correa hit .291 last season with the Twins and launched 22 home runs.  The left side of the infield will also feature Francisco Lindor, who finished ninth in the NL MVP voting last season after slashing .270/.339./.449 and is an elite defensive player.

On the right side, the Mets will start Pete Alonso at first, who finished eighth in MVP voting in 2022 and hit 40 homers while knocking in a league-leading 131 RBIs. At second base, the Mets have the reigning NL batting champion in Jeff McNeil, who hit .326/.382/.454 and is a more than capable defender in his own right.

Combined, the four Mets who will start on the infield in 2023 were worth a whopping 21.1 wins above replacement last season.

Even the Mets backups are above-average now. Eduardo Escobar will likely shift to a DH split with Daniel Vogelbach, but can spot start at third base, second base, or first base. Luis Guillorme, one of the best infield defenders in baseball, will likely have a less of a role after the Correa deal, but could see time at second with McNeil shifting to the outfield on certain nights. Both Escobar and Guillorme are also fully capable of filling in as starters should any infielder go down with an injury.

Brett Baty will likely spend the year in Syracuse and could transition to a full-time outfield role now that his natural position is blocked for the next dozen years. He could also be a trade option should the Mets be looking to deal at the deadline.

Simply put, the Mets are loaded on the infield both offensively and defensively. The 2023 season is going to be a fun one.