A.J. Pollock

Position: OF

Bats/Throws: R/R

Age: 35 (12/05/1987)

2022 Traditional Statistics: 138 G, 120 H, 14 HR, 56 RBI, .245 BA, .292 OBP, .389 SLG, .681 OPS, 26 2B

2022 Advanced Statistics: 0.4 WAR, .317 wOBA, 92 wRC+,  .278 BABip, .981 FP, 4 DRS, -2 OAA

Rundown

After three seasons with the Dodgers, in which AJ Pollock slashed .282/.337/.519, posted a 125 wRC+ with 52 home runs, and reached a 130 wRC+ in each of the last two seasons out West, the team decided to deal him to the Chicago White Sox for reliever Craig Kimbrel. Pollock was brought in to assist a White Sox team looking for offensive reinforcement, but Pollock failed to live up to the task, as he only produced a 91 OPS+, which culminated in his worst cumulative offensive season to date.

On the fielding side, he is considered below average, posting up a -2 OAA in left field for the White Sox, which is close or on par with his career average of -4, which he totaled from 2016 to 2021. According to Baseball Savant, he has above-average arm strength in the outfield but once again checks in below league average in outs above average.

So, why even bring all of this up for Pollock? What could an above average outfielder in his mid-thirties provide for the Mets at this current juncture? Easy! Pollock can still hit lefties incredibly well and even at age 35, as well as still possesses decent home run power that can supplement the Mets in a tertiary role as your fourth outfielder or a supplemental designated-hitting option.

In 64 games, over 133 plate appearances last season against lefties, Pollock slashed .286/.316/.619 and posted an OPS of .935. Additionally, he hit 11 of his 14 home runs against left-handed pitching. Career-wise versus lefties, Pollock currently has a slash line of .285/.335/.533  with an OPS of .868. All very strong numbers.

Contract

After the season, Pollock declined his $13-million player option for 2023 and netted a $5-million buyout becoming a free agent. According to Spotrac, Pollock’s market value comes in at about $12.8-million annually. Judging off that value, a possible deal could come in around $12-13 million over two years. And one would assume a contract going forward would contain some kind of option for additional season depending on performance and accolades.

A short-term contract like this seems like pennies on the dollar for the Steve Cohen owned Mets compared to the other contracts handed out during this free agency period.

Recommendation

As it stands, it doesn’t seem like the Mets need another bat but adding a player like Pollock can help fix a lot of what hurt this team down the stretch last season, which is productivity against left-handed pitching. Pollock can slot into the fourth outfielder role and can play either left or right, but can also help compliment the right side of the DH department, platooning with Daniel Vogelbach and Eduardo Escobar, as Darin Ruf could not fill that role last season.

Signing a player like Pollock can add to an already offensively potent team, and as is it with any championship team, depth is one of the key factors. His addition can add to that and provide the bench with another boost on the right side.