I don’t know how everyone else felt listening to David Wright‘s comments to the media yesterday before the game. It’s tough to see David go through something like this. People can knock him all they want for whatever reason, but one thing is for sure: he’s a gamer. He wants to be out there with his team and given the Mets position teetering between first and second place, it probably hurts even more.
It is time to plan for life after David Wright. That is not to say that he won’t ever play in a Mets uniform again. He probably will put on his Metropolitan uniform again and it could happen this season (I’m not crossing my fingers).
This puts Sandy Alderson in a more intricate situation then he was before. Obviously he is under pressure to add some sort of piece to help the offense. The names Ben Zobrist and Martin Prado are the current flavor-of-the-week targets as Mets fans have seemed to be slowly coming to the realization that Troy Tulowitzki is simply not leaving his post in the Rocky Mountains anytime soon, at least to come to the Big Apple.
While listening to WFAN this morning, Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts were throwing a few names around and I decided to dive into them a bit deeper to see exactly how they would fit into the Pythagorean theory that is the Mets infield.
Todd Frazier
This is a name I initially looked into a few days ago, but brushed past it quickly for whatever reason. Hearing his name came up again convinced to me to take a closer look.
The 29-year old third basemen has produced well since entering the league in 2011. He is currently hitting at a .280/.363/.608 clip with 16 home-runs and 31 RBI’s. He is right on track to produce close to his five-year career average. Frazier would be a nice fit for the Mets to slot in at third-base in the short-term. With Wright’s future up in the air, Frazier would give a much-needed lift to the Mets offense while playing acceptable defense.
Probably the most appealing thing about Frazier (at least to the FO) is his affordability and net-return. Frazier is currently due to make $4.5 million this season and $7.5 million in 2016. He is eligible for arbitration in 2017 before becoming a free agent in 2018. The Mets would have about 2.5 years of affordable control over Frazier if they traded for him. This is an attractive time-frame that we have seen Alderson navigate within with Bartolo Colon, Michael Cuddyer and Curtis Granderson.
Another interesting thing to consider with Frazier’s contract situation. By the time he is eligible for for free agency before the 2018 season, Frazier will be 32 or almost 32-years old. The age that he is going to a free agent will have an effect on the size of the contract he receives. If he continues to put up similar numbers, he will sign a sizable contract but it won’t be anything crazy. He’s not signing for $100 million or close to it. It’s tough to speculate on the size of a players contract in three years, but it’s definitely an interesting note.
What if Wright returns? You have to assume that if and when the captain returns, he will be given third-base duties, although I’m sure he would be given regular rest. Frazier has experience in the outfield as well as first-base. I must highlight the word “experience”. He has not played in the outfield since 2013 where he played left-field for two games. The year before he played seven games. I wouldn’t call him a reliable outfielder, but then again I wouldn’t call Cuddyer that either. The position isn’t something to worry about in this moment of crisis. The truth of the matter is that injuries always come up, even when you least expect it. If you told me two months ago that David Wright would have a career-threatening back condition at age 32, I probably would have shook it off and slept fine.
Anyway, Frazier is definitely an attractive trade-target for Sandy Alderson. The Reds are 11 games out of 1st place and are quickly shifting their thinking towards 2016. He could become available in the right deal.
Brett Lawrie
He is far from a star and still has much to prove (other than his intensity on the field). The 25-year old can play second or third. There are a few things that are attractive about Lawrie.
If you haven’t noticed the common trend yet, but these options are only affordable ones that I could actually imagine the Wilpons opening their purse for. He is making just under $2 million this season and is arbitration eligible up he hits free agency in 2018.
Lawrie’s numbers don’t jump out at anyone to say the least. He is been in the league since 2011 and is in his first year with the Oakland Athletics, who are sitting in last place in the AL West, 12.5 games out. His career slash-line is .266/.320/.419 and has averaged around 10 home runs and 40 RBI’s. The optimistic outlook on Lawrie would point to his age and hope that he comes into his own and starts to produce at a higher level.
It’s also hard not to love the fire and passion Lawrie brings with him onto the field. It’s something they I would imagine is a hit-or-miss type of thing with the fans based on his production. However, the Mets haven’t had a fiery player like Lawrie in awhile. The closest thing the Metropolitans have is Jenrry Mejia, who’s post-save celebration probably won’t be seen again considering he has lost that job.
I really like the idea of bringing in Lawrie. I wouldn’t imagine it would take one of the big young arms to acquire him. If Beane even mentions the name deGrom, Syndergaard or Matz, Alderson would probably hang up before he finished his sentence. He is definitely an intriguing option.
Edwin Encarnacion
The comments on this one are very predictable. He’s injury prone. He can’t play defense. He’s off to a slow start in 2015…… Sure he isn’t a perfect fit. But then again, nobody really is.
Encarnacion is the definition of a slugger. The 32-year old had amazing career marks, averaging .263/.347/.485 with 31 home runs and 95 RBIs. The Mets haven’t had a pair of sluggers like that in their lineup since their playoff days of 2006.
Again, affordability is a huge factor in this equation and Encarnacion is a bit of a rental. He is making $10 million this year and has a team-option for 2016 at $10 million. This is penny’s on the dollar for the type of production he provides. The team-option is interesting for the Mets considering the question marks on their infield. If Wright ends up being able to play more then what is being speculated right now, the Mets can opt not to resign him.
While he is best suited at first-base or DH, Encarnacion spent a lot of his early days at the hot corner. Again, let me note that this is far from a PERFECT option. But perfect options don’t really exist. The Blue Jays are only 4.5 games out of 1st in the AL East. It would take a bit more of a drop-off before they might start looking towards 2016. But if that time comes, Encarnacion is someone to look into.
