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Nelson Cruz of the Washington Nationals is now on the Mets radar as the MLB Trade Deadline nears, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Baltimore Orioles first baseman/designated hitter Trey Mancini has been talked about as a potential acquisition for the Mets.
This news comes less than 24 hours after first baseman Dominic Smith played a critical role in the team’s comeback victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night. Neither Smith nor J.D. Davis has cemented themselves as the clear number one option at DH. That leaves the Mets in a position to be in the market for an impact bat at the deadline.
Cruz has begun to warm up after posting just a .155/.253/.226 line in April. The 42-year-old designated hitter is hitting .278/.351/.429 over his last 54 games with the Nationals. For the season, Cruz has been slightly above average offensively at 101 OPS+. That number is well below Cruz’s career OPS+ of 132, but still higher than that of Davis (91 OPS+) and Smith (78 OPS+) this season.
Cruz was originally signed by the Mets in 1998 before they traded him to the A’s for Jorge Velandia in 2000. The veteran slugger has 457 career home runs, is a seven-time All-Star, and has won four Silver Slugger awards.
Heyman also stated that the Mets would likely be more interested in Cruz versus Nationals first baseman Josh Bell, who would cost much more to acquire.
Mets designated hitters in 2022 not named Francisco Lindor or Pete Alonso have just two home runs in 217 at-bats.
