The Atlanta Braves released a statement noting, “We were surprised and extremely disappointed to learn that Profar tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Prevention and Treatment Program. We fully support the Program and are hopeful that Jurickson will learn from this experience.”

An 80-game suspension is the first penalty for violating MLB’s PED policy. A second offense institutes a 162-game ban, and a third offense is a lifetime ban. Players are ineligible to compete in the postseason of the year they were suspended, regardless of when their suspension is up unless the penalty is reduced or appealed. 

Fernando Tatis Jr. was the last notable player to receive an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a substance in 2022. Former Mets Robinson Cano received a 162-game suspension for the 2021 season after testing positive for the second time, and former closer Jenrry Mejia was the first player to receive a permanent suspension after a third offense in 2016. He was, however, reinstated in 2018.

Profar signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Braves in the offseason after a career year with the Padres in 2024. He made his first All-Star team and finished the season hitting .280/.380/.459/.839 with 24 home runs and 85 RBIs. 

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Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

No 5. Kyle Stowers, MIA

Kyle Stowers, 27, was traded to Miami in the Taylor Rogers deal last season. He and Connor Norby were the headliners heading back to the fish, but Stowers’ Miami tenure did not start as he would’ve liked. Stowers slashed .186/.262/.295, producing an abysmal OPS of .556. Underlying metrics are somewhat a fan of the former O’s top prospect, as his batted ball numbers were solid with a 51.3 HardHit% and 10.9 Barrel%.

Stowers is projected to start in LF for the Marlins and have a much better season. ZiPS projects the lefty to post a  103 wRC+ with 18 homers over 460 PAs, which would be solid for the Marlins, the rebuilding fish could use a breakout-type player in Stowers to start moving things the right way.

No 4. Max Kepler, PHI

Max Kepler just recently acquired this offseason by the Phillies will be a key piece to this season if he can put up numbers like he did in 2023 (123 wRC+, 2.8 fWAR). Last year was a rough year for Kepler posted a below-average 94 wRC+ in 399 plate appearances. However, the poor performance could be linked to a knee injury sustained to Kepler that was addressed in the offseason. If Kepler can recover and play to the back of his baseball card, the $10M price tag could look like a bargain for the Phils.

Projections are somewhat all together on how they view him as a league-average bat with about 1 and change fWAR to go with it. For the Phillies to go on a deep run this year, Kepler will have to be better than last year.

No 3. James Wood, WSH

The 22-year-old superstar and former top prospect for the Nationals is poised to have a massive breakout season. In those 79 games in 2024, James Wood was elite, putting up a 120 wRC+, .354 OBP, and 52.0 HardHit%. His bat has a ton of pop but he only had 9 homers in 336 PAs. The main culprit was Wood’s inability to pull the ball, registering only a 31.8 percentage on pulled balls.

It’s not farfetched to say Wood can easily be a 20-20 player next season. He hits the ball hard enough to eclipse the 20-homer plateau, and he stole 14 bases last season while in the 85th Percentile in sprint speed. The potential is there, but only time will tell if Wood will suffer a sophomore slump or breakout into being one of baseball’s best stars.

No 2. Jurickson Profar, ATL

Jurickson Profar was rewarded by the Braves with a three-year, $42 million contract after registering his best season in the majors with the Padres. The former No. 1 overall prospect in baseball had an electric, as he put up an elite wRC+ of 139, which was 12th best in baseball.

There are zero questions about his bat, which could debatably put Profar No. 1 on this list. But his defense in the field and poor base running kept him at No. 2. This past season he had a -7 OAA and 26.5 SprintSpeed which were in the bottom percentiles of each respective stats.

There are some doubts if Profar is going to bring the hot bat into the new season, as his barrel% was a 7.2 (43rd percentile), and with a high BABIP, it will be interesting to see if the 31-year-old outfielder will be able to bring elite level production to the Braves. Nonetheless, he deserves to be No. 2 on this list after this past season.

No 1. Brandon Nimmo, NYM

Brandon Nimmo solidifies himself at No. 1 on MMO’s top-five left fielder’s list. Nimmo is coming off an alright season last year where he battled through plantar fasciitis for a majority of the second half and playoffs. The injury could be seen in his first and second-half splits, as his OPS went from .815 in the first half to .596 during the second half. Nimmo is expected to be ready for opening day, and if he’s even 95% that will be huge as read previously when he was nearly fully healthy he was one of the best-hitting outfielders in baseball. Here at MMO, we have Brandon Nimmo slotting into the No. 5 slot in the lineup just behind Pete Alonso.

During the 2024 season, Nimmo set a career-high in stolen bases (15) and he did that without getting caught once. Something to keep an eye on is Nimmo stealing bases, wouldn’t expect it early if he’s still battling the plantar fasciitis that he had surgery on during the offseason, but as the season progresses, it could be something he does more of.

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Position: OF B/T: S/R

Age: 31 (2/20/1993)

2024 Traditional Stats: .280/.380/.459/.839, 24 HR, 85 RBI, 10 SB, 668 PA

2024 Advanced Stats: 3.6 bWAR, 4.3 fWAR, 139 wRC+, 15.1 SO%, 11.4 BB%, .302 BABIP, .364 xwOBA, -6 OAA (LF)

Rundown

Jurickson Profar had the best season of his 11-year career in 2024, setting personal bests in batting average, home runs, OPS, bWAR and fWAR. He made the All-Star team for the first time, won a Silver Slugger and even riled up Los Angeles Dodgers fans in the playoffs.

It was a long time coming for the Curaçao native who helped his country to a Little League World Series title at 11-years-old, was drafted at 16 and debuted with the Texas Rangers at 19 as one of the hottest prospects in baseball, but didn’t live up to the hype.

Oddly enough, his best year came right after one of his worst. He produced -1.6 fWAR in 2023 over 125 games with the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres, hitting nine home runs and posting a .689 OPS. He was poor in the outfield as well, with -13 Outs Above Average.

Still, the Padres, in search of outfield help last winter after trading Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the New York Yankees, signed him to a one-year, $1 million deal and installed him as their everyday left fielder. Years ago, Profar could play multiple positions in the infield and outfield, but those days appear gone. He hasn’t started more than 10 games at first base since 2021 or at second since 2020. Profar also hasn’t played shortstop or third base since 2018.

The switch hitter produced from both sides of the plate in 2024, posting an .885 OPS vs. lefties and an .823 mark against right-handers. His OPS is incredibly consistent regardless of which side he hits from for his career – .725 vs. southpaws in 1,185 plate appearances and .726 vs. righties in 3,106 PAs.

In Game 2 of the NLDS, he reached over the left field fence at Dodger Stadium to rob Mookie Betts of a home run, but waited to reveal that the ball was in his glove. Later in the contest, unruly fans threw objects on the field, some directed at Profar, and the action was delayed.

“Bro, he’s an idiot,” Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill said. “That was hilarious, though. He’s having fun. He’s playing like a little kid, and I love that.”

Contract

He was a steal this year coming off the rough 2023 campaign. MLB Trade Rumors projects a three-year, $45 million deal while The Athletic sees three years at $48 million.

Recommendation

Profar could DH and spell Brandon Nimmo in left, but I look at him as a fallback option if other players don’t come to New York. Even then, I would be reluctant to commit three years to a player over 30 with limited defensive versatility who was inconsistent throughout his 20s.

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Quintana got the start, hoping to snap out of a prolonged slump. Despite a strong stretch in the middle of the year, his full body of work this year has been troubling. Deep in a wild card race, against a sizzling-hot team, Quintana had to be big, and he was.

The left-handed starter was able to pitch into the seventh inning, and in all went 6 1/3 scoreless innings while allowing only four hits. Interestingly enough, Quintana did not strike a single batter out, getting a majority of his outs on the ground. He only allowed five hard-hit balls en route to one of the most important outings by a Mets starting pitcher this season.

Following him, José Buttó aided the Mets to two huge outs in the seventh. After Quintana allowed a hard-hit single and walked a batter, Buttó got potential National League batting champion Luis Arráez to fly out before benefitting from a caught stealing where Luis Torrens and Francisco Lindor coupled to gun down Jackson Merrill. Lindor did a superb job keeping the tag on Merrill, after he came off second base.

Unfortunately for Buttó, the good times halted there. In the eighth, he walked the No. 9 hitter before allowing a game-tying, two-run home run to Jurickson Profar. Phil Maton was able to limit the damage, as Buttó allowed one more hit in the inning.

Things got worse for the Mets bullpen, as Edwin Díaz entered in the ninth, hoping to keep things tied and bring the game to extras. After getting the first Padre to strikeout, Díaz allowed a walk-off solo home run to the rookie Merrill.

The Mets did end up going 5-2 against the Padres this season, locking down the tiebreaker in the event that is needed.

Edwin Díaz. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

Statistic of the Game: 2.5 Games

After the Atlanta Braves lost earlier in the day, the Mets had a chance to cut their wild card lead down to 1.5 games. However, with the loss, New York remains 2.5 games back of the final wild card spot.

The Braves will begin a three-game set in Minnesota before traveling to Philadelphia to end the week.

Player of the Game: Jose Quintana

As mentioned, it had been a struggle for Quintana his last four starts. He came up big for New York on Sunday, tossing six-plus innings of scoreless ball. Unfortunately, it was all for naught, as the Mets let the game slip away. However, more performances like the one Sunday will be needed from the veteran if the Mets hope to keep pace.

On Deck

The Mets will continue their road trip after a day off on Monday. Beginning on Tuesday, the Mets will begin a three-game set in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. Game one is slated for a 9:40 pm ET first pitch with a probable pitching matchup of Sean Manaea versus Brandon Pfaadt.

The post Mets Blow Late 2-0 Lead, Split Series With Padres appeared first on Metsmerized.

Happy Independence Day to the best nation in the world!

On Wednesday, MLB released the starting lineups for the AL and NL as they prepare for the 2024 All-Star Game, which will be held on July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. While no Mets made the starting lineup, plenty of first time All-Stars got the starting nod and familiar faces continue to cement their Midsummer Classic legacies. Here are the starting lineups for each league:

NL: C: William Contreras, MIL, 1B: Bryce Harper, PHI, 2B: Ketel Marte, ARI, SS: Trea Turner, PHI, 3B: Alec Bohm, PHI, OF: Christian Yelich, MIL OF: Jurickson Profar, SDP OF: Fernando Tatis Jr., SDP, DH: Shohei Ohtani, LAD.

AL: C: Adley Rutschman, BAL, 1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR, 2B: José Altuve, HOU, SS: Gunnar Henderson, BAL, 3B: José Ramírez, CLE, OF: Aaron Judge, NYY, OF: Juan Soto, NYY, OF: Steven Kwan, CLE, DH: Yordan Álvarez, HOU.

Along with announcing the starters for the 96th annual All-Star Game, MLB also released the uniforms that will be worn on the field.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

On Wednesday evening, the Mets found themselves on the losing side for the first time in their series against the Nationals this week. After taking two extra-inning games to start the four-game set, the Mets were not able to outscore their bullpen woes, blowing a 5-1 lead and falling by a score of 7-5 to the Nationals. For a full game breakdown, click here.

The Mets will try to leave Washington with a series win as they finish up the series. Jose Quintana (4.57 ERA, 3-5) will face Jake Irvin (3.03 ERA, 6-6) of the Nationals at 11:05 a.m. ET.

Latest Mets News

Kodai Senga looked sharp in his first rehab start for the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 35 pitches/25 strikes. To learn more about Senga’s first rehab start, click here.

The Mets called up Christian Scott from Triple-A Syracuse and DFA’d RHP Matt Festa prior to Wednesday’s game. Scott started on Wednesday, going 5.2 IP 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, and 2 SO while leaving the game with a 5-4 lead.

Veteran outfielder Trayce Thompson was released from his contract with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online.

Latest MLB News

Minnesota Twins slugger Royce Lewis was placed on the 10-day IL with a right adductor strain.

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired starting pitcher Aaron Civale in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, sending INF prospect Gregory Barrios to Tampa Bay in return.

Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow to repair an impingement and will be down from throwing for at least six weeks, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. It is still unknown if he will be able to return this season.

The Minnesota Twins called up their top infield prospect, and No. 13 prospect in all of baseball, Brooks Lee, per Declan Goff of SKOR North. Lee started at third base and went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his MLB debut.

Jon Heyman reported on a Bleacher Report livestream that the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers are the “most likely” landing spots for Chicago White Sox star outfielder Luis Robert Jr.

Latest on MMO

Jose Iglesias and the Mets offense have propelled them to key late-inning wins.

Sean Manaea helped lighten the heavily taxed bullpen’s load with his impressive outing on Tuesday.

Kodai Senga shined in his first rehab start.

On This Date in Mets History

2006: The Mets score three runs in the bottom of the 8th to take a 7-6 lead over the Pirates and Billy Wagner locks it down in the 9th, recording his 300th career save. 

1985: In a 19-inning marathon, the Mets outlast the Braves, winning by a score of 16-13 behind a Keith Hernandez cycle.

1972: Tom Seaver comes within two outs of a no-hitter against the Padres, before a base hit by Leron Lee broke up the no-hit bid.

Birthdays: Jared Hughes (39), José Oquendo (61)

The post Morning Briefing: MLB All-Star Game Starters Announced appeared first on Metsmerized.

Francisco Lindor. Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Francisco Lindor

Francisco Lindor‘s slow starts are well-known. This trend was once again evident to begin the 2024 season and, luckily, as he does every season, Lindor has figured it out and is emerging as one of the most valuable players in the National League.

As of Saturday, Lindor’s 2.9 fWAR not only leads the Mets, but is the sixth-highest mark in all of the National League. Despite the subpar start to the season, his .735 OPS is well-above this year’s league average of .704. Lindor is also on-pace for over 25 home runs, over 100 runs scored, and 0ver 25 stolen bases. Not to mention, he ranks in the league’s 98th percentile in outs above average (OAA).

As he compares to his National League shortstop peers, Lindor only trails Willy Adames of the Milwaukee Brewers in fWAR (by 0.1 WAR). According to both OAA and defensive WAR metrics, Lindor has comfortably been the National League’s top defensive shortstop. Of all the Mets on this list, Lindor, even if not in a starting role, deserves to be named to his first All-Star game as a Metropolitan.

Brandon Nimmo. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Nimmo

For a while there, Brandon Nimmo owned the unfortunate crown of the most unlucky player in baseball. Still, despite some positive regression, Nimmo ranks 25th in the majors in largest difference between actual and expected batting average and 37th in the majors in largest difference between actual and expected wOBA. This among 261 qualified hitters and according to Baseball Savant.

In all, Nimmo’s actual production has resulted in 2.1 fWAR. Among National League left fielders, this rating comes in second only behind the resurgent Jurickson Profar. Nimmo’s 10 home runs rank third on the Mets and his 42 RBIs leads the team. Like Lindor, his OPS is also well above the .704 league average at .779.

Nimmo is a sneaky candidate to make the All-Star game. His production quietly places him among the best left fielders in baseball this season. If he even got a little more luck and performed slightly closer to his expected numbers than he has thus far, a lot more around baseball would be talking about the always strong ninth-year Met.

Pete Alonso. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Pete Alonso

It has been quite an up-and-down start for the Mets’ slugging first baseman. Pete Alonso owns pretty solid statistics and may be on his way to another 40 home run season, however, he is a decent bit off most of his career averages. For reference, the 29-year-old first baseman owns a .798 OPS; his career average OPS sits closer to .900 at .863.

As for how he stacks up to his major-league peers, Alonso’s 1.3 fWAR sits seventh in the National League. A large reason for this is his -7.7 defensive WAR rating. His offensive contributions to his total fWAR ranks him fifth in the National League among first baseball while his total fWAR number does still rank third on the Mets.

Thus far anyways, Alonso really is not having the type of season he usually has. As a result, he finds himself grading further from the top of first baseman in the league than he normally does. Not to mention, when you have two MVP candidates in Bryce Harper and Freddie Freeman playing in the same league as you it is hard for an All-Star spot to be had. For those reasons, it appears the Mets have other candidates that would be more worthy of an All-Star appearance than Alonso.

J.D. Martinez. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

J.D. Martinez

What a signing J.D. Martinez has been for the Mets. Despite joining the team late, Martinez ranks fourth on the squad in both home runs and RBIs. He has been an absolute game-changer since coming aboard, leading the team in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS.

Unfortunately, for Martinez, the designated hitter role has been extremely top heavy in the National League. Specifically, Shohei Ohtani and Marcell Ozuna are both MVP candidates. Not to mention, Martinez got a late start on almost everyone at the top of the National League designated hitter leaderboards.

Regardless of all that, even though the 36-year-old got a late start, he has been one of the most valuable players for the Mets this season. He likely won’t be rewarded with a seventh All-Star selection, but, he has been terrific and if he started with the team since Opening Day, a nod as the Mets’ All-Star representative may have made the most sense.

Note, all WAR metrics are courtesy of Fangraphs and are as of before play on Saturday. 

The post The Mets Who Are The Most Deserving Of An All-Star Appearance appeared first on Metsmerized.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

The Mets’ priority at this stage of free agency continues to be a fourth outfielder and on Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Mets are considering signing Tommy Pham for that role. Heyman also mentioned the possibility of Trey Mancini, Adam Duvall, Jurickson Profar, or Tyler Naquin. It was previously reported on Thursday that the Mets had been in contact with Andrew McCutchen, but he wound up signing with the Pirates on a one-year, $5 million deal.

Pham and Duvall especially have had success against lefties, an area in which the Mets struggled last year, so it’s no surprise to hear that the Mets are potentially interested in adding one of their bats to the bench. Even at this stage of free agency, the Mets have plenty of options to choose from for their fourth outfielder next year.

Latest Mets News

Pete Alonso and the Mets agreed to a one-year, $14.5 million contract to avoid arbitration. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, it is the largest deal ever for a first baseman in arbitration. In total, the Mets settled with six of their seven arbitration-eligible players.

In an article on MLB.com, Jim Callis noted about Brett Baty: “New York should give him its third-base job at some point in 2023 because he’d offer more offense and at least as much defense as 34-year-old incumbent Eduardo Escobar.”

The Mets announced that they are receiving Luis De La Cruz from the Orioles as the PTBNL in the James McCann trade.

The Mets’ organizational managers for 2023 have become official with Dick Scott managing Triple-A Syracuse, Reid Brignac managing Double-A Binghamton, Chris Newell managing High-A Brooklyn, and Gilbert Gómez managing Low-A St. Lucie.

The Mets re-signed Connor Grey to a minor league deal.

Latest MLB News

Juan Soto and the Padres agreed to a one-year, $23 million contract to avoid arbitration.

Lucas Giolito and the White Sox agreed to a one-year, $10.4 million contract to avoid arbitration.

Brandon Woodruff and the Brewers agreed to a one-year, $10.8 million contract to avoid arbitration.

Other notable players who signed contracts to avoid arbitration with their teams include Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Rhys Hoskins, Josh Hader, and Tyler O’Neill.

The Twins signed pitcher Chris Paddack to a three-year, $12.5 million contract extension.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic interviewed Carlos Correa, asking him about his unprecedented free agency experience.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer wrote about the Andrew McCutchen signing, including some other players who make sense for the Mets now that he is off the board.

Michael Mayer also wrote about the Mets’ interest in Tommy Pham.

Michael Famulari analyzed the importance of Brett Baty and Eduardo Escobar to the 2023 Mets in the aftermath of the Carlos Correa deal falling through.

On This Date in Mets History

1998: The Mets signed Japanese pitcher Masato Yoshii to a one-year deal. He would go on to pitch to a 6-8 record with a 3.93 ERA during his debut season, earning a contract extension from the team.

Birthdays: Aaron Altherr (32), Mike Pelfrey (39), Ross Jones (63)

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Jurickson Profar

Position: OF

Bats/Throws: S/R

Age: 29 (2/20/1993)

2022 Traditional Stats: 152 G, 658 PA, .243/.331/.391/.723, 15 HR, 36 2B, 58 RBI, 140 H

2022 Advanced Stats: 111 OPS+, 110 wRC+, 3.1 bWAR, 2.5 fWAR, 11.1 BB%, 15.7 K%, .272 BABIP, .315 xwOBA, 2 DRS, -5 OAA

Rundown

Jurickson Profar had arguably the best season of his career in 2022. In his third season in San Diego, he was able to provide a spark as the leadoff hitter and everyday left fielder for the Padres. With his help, San Diego was able to make the postseason an advance all the way to the NLCS last season. 

Despite making his major league debut at 19 years old with the Rangers in 2012, Profar didn’t play his first full season until 2018 at age 25. This was partly due to a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2014 and 2015 seasons, as well as him simply being unable to maintain a starting role when healthy.

Profar seemed to come into his own from 2018-2020, as he finally received regular playing time. After playing 146 games with the Rangers  in 2018, Profar was dealt to the Oakland A’s where he played in 2019 before being traded again to the Padres where he played the past three seasons. From the three-year stretch between 2018-20, (including the shortened 2020 season) Profar tallied 47 home runs and 169 RBIs with a .757 OPS and a 102 OPS+. While these numbers don’t exactly stand out, Profar proved that he could be a serviceable bat when healthy.

Profar took a step back and struggled in 2021, hitting just .227 with four home runs. However, he had a huge bounce back season in 2022, posting the best OPS+ of his career over a full season. He also improved defensively from the year before, showing more comfort staying in left field than moving around in a utility role. Profar went from a  negative-4 DRS in 2021 to plus-2 DRS 2022 and negative-7 OAA to negative-5 OAA.

Profar’s advanced metrics from the 2022 season show that despite having good strikeout and walk percentages, his whiff rate and chase rate were well above league average. Additionally, Profar was well below league average in average exit velocity, hard-hit percentage, and barrel percentage. He had one of his best seasons to date, but these metrics suggest that there are areas in which Profar needs to improve.

Contract

Spotrac.com estimates Profar to receive a contract of six-years, $89.4 million, which would be just under $15 million per year. Entering his age-30 season and not exactly a premier player, it’s hard to imagine Profar receiving this type of deal. Willson Contreras and Andrew Benintendi received similar deals and both players were unanimously regarded as being in a class above Profar this free agent cycle.

Players more on the level of Profar such as Cody Bellinger, Mitch Haniger, Michael Conforto, and A.J. Pollock all signed shorter-term deals this offseason, and it would make sense if Profar received a deal like that. One-to-three years at $10-15 million per year seems reasonable.

Recommendation

The Mets’ everyday outfield seems to be set with Mark Canha, Brandon Nimmo, and Starling Marte. At best, Profar would be a platoon option with Canha, and, at worst, would simply be a fourth outfielder. He doesn’t provide a ton of power, which is perhaps the Mets most pressing need, but he would be a bat that could be relied upon in a limited role.

If Profar is going to receive contract offers from teams similar to his Spotrac.com projection, the Mets should sit this one out. However, if he can be had for a more reasonable price, it would be worth the Mets’ time to at least look into how signing Profar could benefit the team.

The post MMO Free Agent Profile: Jurickson Profar, OF appeared first on Metsmerized.

Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

With Carlos Correa now signing with the Twins, the Mets have to try again to add some thump to their lineup.

“We needed one more thing, and this (Correa) is it,” Cohen said when the team first agreed to their deal with Correa. “This was important… This puts us over the top.”

While the team scored the third-most runs in the National League, they ranked just eighth in the league in home runs and lacked a right-handed complement to Daniel Vogelbach. There are still a few ways for Billy Eppler and company to address this need.

Sign Jurickson Profar

The free agent market has thinned over the past month, but Profar is the top bat still available. While he isn’t a power hitter necessarily, Profar is a switch-hitter and had a solid 11.1% walk rate and a 15.7% strikeout rate while spending most of the 2022 season as the Padres’ lead-off hitter. He also racked up a 111 OPS+, which is the highest he’s recorded over the course of a full season, and posted a career-high 3.1 rWAR. Furthermore, Profar has played every position on the diamond except for catcher in his career, though he’s shown his most defensive prowess in left field. He could be used as a bit of a super-utility man and can bat either at the top or bottom of the lineup.

Sign Andrew McCutchen or Adam Duvall

As explained in our free agent profiles on both players, Duvall and McCutchen have better power numbers than Profar and boast strong track records against left-handed pitching. In addition to playing all three outfield positions, Duvall has experience at both corner-infield positions, and grades as an above-average defender everywhere he’s played in his career. McCutchen would likely be limited to the corner outfield positions, but he could provide rest to Starling Marte, who nursed multiple injuries last year. Both McCutchen and Duvall may have to be platoon players, but they provide the right-handed pop that the team needed last season.

Make a Trade

The Mets have enough prospect capital and major-league-ready talent to make some deals if they choose this route. The trade market for bats has been picking up a little bit lately, and there are still some players that could be moved before opening day. Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds is the most notable candidate, as he’s requested a trade out of Pittsburgh due to the team’s lackluster extension offers. The 27-year-old was an All-Star and received MVP votes in 2021 and while his numbers took a bit of a dip in 2022, he still posted a solid 126 OPS+ for the year. However, the Pirates have a sky-high asking price for the switch-hitting outfielder, as he’s under team control through the end of the 2025 season.

Another player to keep an eye on is Brewers infielder Willy Adames. Milwaukee has already traded Adames’ double-play partner, Kolten Wong, and he likely wouldn’t cost as much as Reynolds. Adames doesn’t draw a ton of walks (7.9% in 2022), but he smacked a career-high 31 homers and drove in 98 runs, and registered a career-best 4.4 rWAR. Adames would have to move away from the shortstop position, but he has the power and defensive prowess that could fortify the lineup.

Stand Pat Until the Summer

The Mets are slated to enter the season with Eduardo Escobar as the starting third baseman, with Luis Guillorme as the backup and Brett Baty waiting in the wings. Even with a rocky first few months of the season, Escobar finished the season with 20 homers and a 106 OPS+. In September, Escobar looked like the player the Mets hoped they were getting, hitting a blistering .321/.385/.596 with eight homers, winning NL Player of the Month honors. Guillorme displayed an ability to play all over the diamond at a high level and chipped in a 101 OPS+. Baty tore up the minor leagues in 2022 and showed flashes of greatness at the major league level before a thumb injury ended his season.

Even if the Mets don’t make another move for a bat, they have enough options where they can afford to stand pat for the time being. There will likely be more bats on the market this summer and it might be best to see what the in-house options can do before making a move.

The post Evaluating the Mets’ Post-Correa Options to Boost Their Lineup appeared first on Metsmerized.

Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets roster is missing a fourth outfielder right now. Last season, manager Buck Showalter enjoyed the ability to get a player off their feet for a day by rotating in a defense-first outfielder.

The first half of the 2022 season saw outfielder Travis Jankowski appear in 43 games with 17 starts. The Mets used Ender Inciarte as a defensive replacement in 11 games. Trade deadline acquisition Tyler Naquin played in 49 games but only started 29.

None of those players remain on the Mets. Right now the Mets projected top outfield option is Khalil Lee. New York will keep their main three of Mark Canha, Brandon Nimmo, and Starling Marte as the starters but who is available to back them up?

Adam Duvall

Duvall was a plus defender for the Braves last season. In 86 games he posted 5 outs above average. That total ranked 26th among outfielders in baseball last season. Duvall rotated through all three outfield positions, playing the most in center field. Duvall has always shown defensive ability in the outfield but his transition into center didn’t happen until he became a Brave in 2021.

Duvall’s bat has slowed down. Since his career-best 2019 season, his wRC+ has decreased each of the following three seasons, hitting 87 last season or 13% worse than the average major leaguer. Duvall still provides solid power as he was on pace to hit 24 home runs over a full season. That pop is rare among the quality of outfielders available for this position.

Jurickson Profar

Profar is the ultimate utility man. He’s played every position except catcher in his career. Unfortunately, he’s not a plus defender at any of them. Still, despite his defensive deficiency, a player with the ability to play everywhere has value in the major leagues.

Profar recorded a 110 wRC+ last season and remains a tough out at the plate. He walked in 11.1% of his at-bats and struck out just 15.7% of the time. He’s a pest and excellent at working deep counts and raising pitch counts. That hitting profile plus his versatility fits what Showalter is ultimately looking for.

He may be out of the Mets price range for the position. Spotrac.com has his market value set at $14.9 million. That’s expensive for a bench bat.

Jackie Bradley Jr.

Jackie Bradley Jr. wouldn’t even have success at the plate if the ball was on a tee but he can certainly defend those who can. Bradley has made a career off being an excellent defensive centerfielder, consistently ranking in the tops of all defensive categories.

Last season he made 98 starts in the outfield and played in 146 games. He accumulated a higher outs above average than Brandon Nimmo and was tied for 13th in baseball among outfielders with 7. Bradley can play all three outfield positions and should come pretty cheap after multiple seasons of failing to do anything productive at the plate.

The Mets are lucky they locked up Nimmo. The center field market is absolutely barren this offseason but they’ll still need to add at least one more outfielder to complete the roster.

Other compelling names the Mets could look at are David Peralta, Tommy Pham, or Chad Pinder. They don’t need someone expensive, just someone who can catch a ball.

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