Assistant GM John Ricco told reporters that the Mets will consider a trade for an outfielder if right opportunity arises (Mike Vorkunov, NJ.com)
“I think we’re committed to trying to make the team better,” Ricco said. “I think there’s a scenario where you can fit another bat in there. There is no obvious spot. That’s one of the trickiest things here. It’s not like there’s a gaping hole. People say shortstop but we do obviously want to be better offensively. We’re not ruling outfield by any stretch.”
Even though the Mets invested a lot in the outfield this offseason, Ricco says that won’t discourage them from upgrading the position at the deadline.
“We don’t look it at that way,” John Ricco, the Mets assistant general manager, said, speaking generally and not specifically about any one player or any reports. “That doesn’t precludes us because of what we spent there. The other thing is I don’t think you can afford to be that picky given the state of offense around the game to just say, OK, we’re going to pass on an upgrade offensively. I think we can figure out how to make things work .”
Mets’ outfielders have a combined batting average of .237 this season, which ranks 28th in the majors. Their underwhelming .671 OPS is also good for 28th in the MLB.
And now with Michael Cuddyer potentially heading to the disabled list, the Mets should even be more inclined to make a trade to improve their struggling outfield. Cuddyer is dealing with a swollen left knee, and he has been a major disappointment for New York. He’s batting just .249 this season with eight home runs during 80 games played.
It was reported on Friday by Jon Heyman of CBS Sports that the Mets were aiming high on Carlos Gomez and Justin Upton. However, I think smaller deals for either Will Venable or Gerardo Parra may be more realistic targets given the team’s stingy ownership and front office.
In 89 games this season, Parra is hitting .310 with nine home runs and 30 RBI. Venable has six home runs with a .256 average and .730 OPS in 77 games.
