If money was not an issue and the Mets could have any offensive free agent on the market, it would be really cool to see certain players donning a Mets uniform in 2014. This is only a dream scenario at this point, unless the Wilpons somehow came across a ton of money that they could spend with no worries.
But we all know that will never happen, because as Mets fans we were never meant to be spoiled, so all we do is dream. Here is my dream. Here is what the Mets would look like if I were able to build the team with any free agent of my choosing. I’ll attempt to be realistic to an extent and will keep certain Mets around, but this is my dream, go get your own. 🙂
Catcher – Travis d’Arnaud
2013 Stats: .202/.286/.263, 3 Doubles, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 12 BB, 99 AB
I understand that he is probably not most fans first choice, but he is still the young and still has a great upside. He had an injury last season that put him on the 60- day DL and cost him a good chunk of the season and I am sure it messed with his approach a bit; so with the other positions more of a pressing need, I feel the Mets could get away with a full year of d’Arnaud, giving him the opportunity to prove that he is worth the risk.
First Base – Daniel Murphy
2013 Stats: .286/.319/.415, 92 R, 38 Doubles, 4 Triples, 13 HR, 78 RBI, 23 SB, 658 AB
If comparing Murphy to free agents that play first base, he is still the youngest on the market, only two years older than Brandon Snyder of the Red Sox, but Snyder can not fill Murphy’s shoes. Murphy probably didn’t play the best defensive second base, but not having him on the team would mean that the Mets would need to replace his production and I am not sure that even Lucas Duda could put up Murphy numbers. So moving Murphy to first base would open the door for the Mets to land an impact second baseman.
Second Base – Robinson Cano
2013 Stats: .314/.383/.516, 81 R, 41 Doubles, 27 HR, 107 RBI, 605 AB
Yes, I could hear all the fans yelling that he is not worth all the money, but hey this is my dream team. Now I am not stating how much the Mets would have to pay to land him, but for the purposes of this post, I am just picking him as an option if money was not an issue. So even if he didn’t get his $30 mil per year to play in Queens, it would be something to have his talent playing at Citi Field in 2014. He brings a type of arrogance from playing in the Bronx but also can change the makeup of a game with one swing. You basically do not lose anything because his defense is great and his offense is the top of his position. Would be a shame if he didn’t retire as a Yankee, but wouldn’t be a bad thing if he called Queens his home.
Third Base – David Wright
2013 Stats: .307/.390/.514, 63 R, 23 Doubles, 6 Triples, 18 HR, 58 RBI, 17 SB, 430 AB
Ok at what the Mets are paying Wright, he is the franchise. He isn’t going anywhere and I strongly feel that if he has a supporting cast around him, and all the pressure of doing it all was not on his back, he would have better seasons. Not that he is any less of a great player on his own, but every athlete would do great with other great athletes around them. So Wright would now be able to do his thing and retire as the greatest Met ever.
Shortstop – Jhonny Peralta
2013 Stats: .303/.358/.457, 50 R, 30 Doubles, 11 HR, 55 RBI, 409 AB
With the Mets looking for a new face at shortstop, what better then to have a player that has been mostly consistent throughout his career. The only downfall to his career has been his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal, that cost him 50 games in 2013, but he will be coming back with something to prove and what better than to prove that in New York.
Left Field – Curtis Granderson
2013 Stats: .229/.317/.407, 31 R, 13 Doubles, 7 HR, 15 RBI, 214 AB
I feel that aside from Beltran, Granderson is the next best outfielder on the market. He had a down year due to fracturing his finger, but when he is healthy, he is capable of putting up some big numbers. He may not hit 40 home runs in Citi Field, because the right field porch is much further than it is at Yankee stadium, but he is still a threat to get on base and draw in runs. He also covers a lot of ground in the outfield and would be a great complement to Juan Lagares.
Center Field – Juan Lagares
2013 Stats: .242/.281/.352, 35 R, 21 Doubles, 5 Triples, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 392 AB
After winning the Wilson Defensive Player of The Year award for the Mets, he deserves to start in the outfield and the Mets only need to worry about corner outfield positions. His offensive numbers may have been weak in 2013, but he has been hitting the cover off the ball in the Dominican Winter League batting .425/.434/.493, preparing himself for the 2014 season. Very excited to see him excel and continue to grow into a star.
Right Field – Carlos Beltran
2013 Stats: .296/.339/.491, 79 R, 30 Doubles, 3 Triples, 24 HR, 84 RBI, 554 AB
I know that if anyone will be signed as a free agent to play for the Mets, it more than likely will not be Beltran. But because he was one of my favorite Mets players, I chose to dream big. He at times carried the Mets on his back and played flawlessly in center field. The one main thing that is held over his head is the strikeout to end the 2006 NLCS against the Cardinals. But in my mind, he deserves another shot to come back and win it with the Mets. Would be great to see Beltran in Orange and Blue again, and win that elusive championship ring.
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Just imagine the damage this lineup could do every day. The dream of bringing in the likes of Beltran, Granderson, Peralta, and Cano would make Mets certain contenders before the season even started. But as what Mets fans have become accustomed to, there probably will be just one free agent signing this winter, and it may not be the splash that we were all anticipating. Either way with this much talent on the market, it feels good to at least dream of what the Mets could do if they were truthfully spending and had an open check book.
