Denard Span
Position: Center Field
Bats: Left — Throws: Left
Born: February 27th, 1984 (Age 31)
Last season was not a good year for Juan Lagares, who underperformed defensively and offensively in 2015. Specifically, his struggles against right-handed pitching lost him his starting job in center field. The offseason plan for the Mets front office is to acquire a player that could form a formidable platoon with Lagares in center next season. Ideally, he would be a left-handed batter, which is one reason why the Mets have been linked to Gerardo Parra recently. However, another player the Mets could pursue is Denard Span.
Span had an injury plagued 2015, playing in only 61 games for the Nationals. However, he was effective when healthy and batted .301 with a .365 OBP and .431 slugging in 275 plate appearances with five home runs and 22 RBI in the leadoff spot. He also stole 11 bases without being caught.
A former first-rounder, Span has a career .293 average and .760 OPS against right-handed pitching and he certainly would make a strong platoon with Lagares in center field.
It’s a season-ending hip injury that required surgery that raises a red flag with Span, who will be 32 when the season opens. It’s uncertain how this will affect his speed or impact his overall game.
Averaging 119 games a year, Span is a .287/.352/.395 career hitter. He has stolen 152 bases, averaging 19 a year. His best year was 2014, in which he hit .302/.355/.416 with 39 doubles, eight triples, five home runs, and 31 stolen bases. He was tied with Ben Revere for most hits in the National League with 184.
Span’s career .352 on base percentage, as well as his speed, make him a great option for the leadoff spot if he’s healthy. The Mets lacked a legitimate stolen base threat last season, and Span could give them a weapon they haven’t really had in a few years. Furthermore, if he were to bat atop the Mets lineup, it would allow Curtis Granderson to bat in the middle of the order where he could drive in more runs.
Contract: FanGraphs projects his contract to be in the range of three years and $36 million, which would have him signed through his age 34 season. I wouldn’t be surprised if he were to get a fourth year either guaranteed or as an option.
My Recommendation: Sign Him. Personally, I think Juan Lagares is going to bounce back and will produce offensively and defensively as he did in 2014, maybe even better. However, Span and Lagares would be a very effective platoon. Because he can play any outfield position effectively, Span would also provide insurance in case of injuries or poor performance in left or right field. Bottom line, if the Mets can get him for no more than $12 million a year, I’m confident he would be a good signing.
