Saturday’s game was simply another example of that, as chose to not go after a short fly ball that seemed catchable in the bottom of the third inning. A run scored and the Philadelphia Phillies turned that into a six-running inning, helping them win the game 7-2.

Starling Marte. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

“They were having a hard time seeing the ball off the bat, especially in that particular time when the sun’s coming down with the roof there, [Starling Marte] him and [Harrison] Bader,” Carlos Mendoza said after the game. Marte was not wearing sunglasses when that play occurred in the third inning, though he did have them resting on the top of his hat.

A lot of the advanced metrics don’t look great for Marte. Entering today, his -8 OAA (outs above average) ranked last among all right fielders. Among all position players, then ranked 261st out of 263 players. Not good to say the least. Marte also owns a -9 DRS (defensive runs saved), which is the second work mark in all of baseball, only behind San Diego Padres catcher Luis Campusano.

The Mets are 27-36 and four games out of a Wild Card spot in the National League. Marte has been one of the team’s best hitters over the last few weeks, but how long can they wait to make a change? His bat is certainly important, but his mistakes in the field are a big issue. It doesn’t seem as if the Mets can wait much longer to try something new.

Marte had less trouble when he played in left and center field earlier in his career. He is at 71 defensive runs saved and -2 outs above average in left field. In center, he sits at -13 defensive runs saved and 14 outs above average. In comparison, he is at -11 defensive runs saved and -15 in right field for his career.

Brandon Nimmo hasn’t played a lot of right field in his career (65 starts) but he has some experience at that position. Could Marte and him switch positions? Would it even help if the two switch positions? Maybe not. It’s more likely the Mets keep Marte in right field and hope he turns the corner.

The post Marte’s Defense Remains a Concern in 2024 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The passion exuded by redhead Daniel Joseph Staub was not outward. He was a gentle soul with a quiet intensity underneath. He ensured each season, each game, and each at-bat had his utmost attention.

Staub didn’t become the first player to tally at least 500 hits with four clubs by accident. He totaled 11,229 plate appearances over the course of a career that encompassed 2,951 games. The 1973 season was not Staub’s best, but it was the closest he ever got to a World Series title. Despite a key injury during that postseason, he nearly willed his team to the ring.

Staub came to New York from Montreal, where he was embraced, unlike any player in that franchise’s history. “Le Grand Orange” represented the Expos’ early years. However, the locals were forced to deal with the news of a trade to Queens in April 1972. Gil Hodges, shortly before his death, insisted on getting Staub to strengthen a weak Mets offense. The Expos agreed to part with Rusty in exchange for three youngsters.

Just as the trade was devastating to Montreal’s fan base, New York reveled in getting someone of Staub’s caliber—someone who could add spice to a lineup that was getting rather bland.

Staub, who had played well for perennial second-division clubs, fed off the talent around him and the Mets benefited from Rusty’s arrival. New York jumped out by winning 25 of its first 32. Staub’s insertion in the cleanup spot expanded the possibilities of the offense and lessened pressure on Tommie Agee and Cleon Jones. Combined with their usual supply of great pitching, the Mets were six games up on Pittsburgh by May 21.

The good times, though, would end abruptly. Staub, hitting .315 with eight homers and 31 RBIs, was plunked on the right hand by a pitch from soon-to-be teammate George Stone of Atlanta on June 3. Although he tried to fight through the pain, the soreness was too much. X-rays disclosed a fractured hamate bone. It was part of an epidemic that engulfed the Mets, as Agee, Jones, and others were also set back by injuries. When Rusty went on the disabled list, the

Mets were perched in first place. When he came back on September 18, the Mets were 16.5 games out. The start of the 1973 season charted an all-too-familiar and unwelcome pattern. Staub couldn’t shake the injury that derailed his ’72 campaign, while other vital members of the Mets succumbed to similar fates.

He missed only 10 games but couldn’t get the Mets out of last place. With a little more than a month left in the regular season, they were still in the NL East cellar. A grand slam on August 27 against San Diego helped to forge New York’s resurgence.

Staub stayed at the forefront by batting .321 with five homers, 21 RBIs, and 24 runs scored over the final 33 games. He ended on a 15-game hitting streak, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI in a 6–4 NL East clincher in Chicago.

His scorching bat kept blazing in the third game of the NLCS. Two home runs in two at-bats gave him three for the series and jump-started the Mets to a 9–2 victory that put them on the precipice of an unlikely pennant. Staub’s offense decidedly won Game 3 and his defense almost won Game 4.

Rusty made an over-the-shoulder grab in the top of the sixth to preserve the Mets’ slim 1–0 lead. In the 11th, Dan Driessen had what appeared to be a tie-breaking extra-base hit, but Staub raced back to the warning track and hauled it in.

This valiant effort, though, came with a price. As Staub secured the catch, he careened into the right-center-field wall. Though he pressed on through the Reds’ 12-inning victory, a separated shoulder made him unavailable for the deciding Game 5.

Staub’s status remained in doubt heading into the World Series. The designated hitter, introduced during that regular season, was not implemented for the Fall Classic. Manager Yogi Berra chose to sacrifice Rusty’s limitations in the field for what he could do at the plate.

Though he toughed it out, Staub’s shoulder pain forced him to throw submarine-style. It had no effect on his hitting, though. Staub batted .423 against Oakland, hitting safely in each of the six games he played. He drove in five of the Mets’ six runs while belting a pair of homers in a Game 4 victory that helped New York draw even with the A’s.

But Staub’s weary body could only take the Mets so far. Despite going 2-for-4 in the seventh game, driving in one of his team’s two runs, New York produced little else in a 5–2 defeat that gave Oakland the title.

Both the Mets and their outfielder regressed in 1974, but Staub rebounded the next year to have his best performance yet—becoming the first player in team history to surpass 100 RBIs in a single season.

A year like 1975 should’ve made him an indispensable piece to a team lacking in run-producing hitters. But team chairman M. Donald Grant had a fondness for bad ideas. Planting seeds of public discontent that would grow in the coming years, he sent Staub to Detroit for a prospect and a washed-up Mickey Lolich.

Staub returned in the early 80s to finish his lengthy career. From there, his popularity and impact in New York only got bigger.

The post Spirit of ’73: Rusty Staub appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany, MMO

Good morning, Mets fans!

On Friday, Buck Showalter indicated that Ronny Mauricio could start to see more playing time at different defensive positions including first base, third base, and the outfield. This came on the same night that Mauricio started at second base for Triple-A Syracuse, the first game in his minor league career that he started at a position other than shortstop. If Mauricio performs well defensively at other positions, it might allow him a quicker path to the major league team as he has been tearing it up offensively to start the season.

Latest Mets News

The Mets defeated the Giants on Friday night in a 7-0 shutout. Joey Lucchesi threw seven brilliant innings while Pete Alonso hit his tenth home run of the year and recorded four RBIs for the second straight game.

The Long Island Railroad announced that they are making Mets-Willets Point a full time station.

Latest MLB News

Drew Smyly came six outs away from throwing a perfect game for the Cubs on Friday, with his lone blemish being an infield single off the bat of David Peralta. The Cubs wound up defeating the Dodgers 13-0, improving to 12-7 on the year.

The Royals announced that pitcher Kris Bubic has decided to undergo UCL reconstruction surgery.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer wrote about Ronny Mauricio playing second base for Triple-A Syracuse last night.

John Sheridan wrote about Joey Lucchesi being called up and the current state of the Mets’ rotation.

Rich Sparago took a look at some of the new rules being implemented in the Atlantic League.

On This Date in Mets History

1970: Tom Seaver threw a complete game against the Padres in which he struck out 19 batters including ten straight to end the game. Seaver’s ten straight strikeouts were an MLB record that remained untouched for 51 years until both Aaron Nola and Corbin Burnes matched the feat in 2021.

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Might Explore Mauricio’s Defensive Versatility appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo via Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic

Major League Baseball has several new rules going into effect for the 2023 season. The new rules have been tested in spring training (except for the shortened time to decide on replay reviews), discussed, debated, and in the case of when the clock starts between batters, slightly tweaked. There may be another new twist during the upcoming season, as teams try to find a way to shift within the rules.

The rule on infielder positioning states that there must be two infielders on each side of second base, with their feet touching the infield dirt when the pitch is thrown. Fair enough. The rule does not mandate where outfielders must be stationed, and for some teams, that has already created an opportunity for innovation.

During spring training, several teams brought an outfielder to play a deep second base position against left-handed pull hitters, leaving two outfielders and left field wide open. A case in point, as documented by Jayson Stark in The Athletic, was March 3 when the Red Sox were playing the Twins. It’s no surprise that the Red Sox would be one of the teams experimenting, after all, they’re guided by the hand of Chaim Bloom, the general manger who found creative ways to keep the under-funded Rays in contention for years. The hitter against whom the experiment took place was none other than Joey Gallo, the quintessential pull hitter (when he makes contact). Other teams tried the two-man outfield during spring training, Will we see it during the regular season?

Here’s Bloom from the article:

“I don’t think we’ve seen everything we’re going to see,” he said. “But I also think you have to give MLB credit. The rules have been written and clarified in such a way as to take away a lot of the obvious loopholes that aren’t in the spirit of the rules. And that’s important, because this wasn’t done to bring more innovation or trick plays. It was done to get to a version of our game that feels better.”

It sounds like Bloom, and likely other general managers, are concocting ways to position fielders in compliance with the rules, but in a way that creates a statistical advantage given hitters’ tendencies. In order for creative shifts, or any shifts, to be effective, they have to be employed in the right situations. If the two-outfielder shift leaves left field open, which hitters are least likely to beat the shift by hitting a ball to left field?

Stark provides some context in his article. These hitters are least likely to hit fly balls to left field:

Teams that go with a two-outfielder shift will be taking a gamble, because the stakes will be higher than in the past. If hitters beat the traditional shift, the result was most often a single through a vacated hole. With left field wide open, the result of beating the shift can be a double, triple, or even an inside-the-park home run.

Given the increased risk, managers will likely use the two-outfielder shift sparingly. In a sense, it’s like defensive strategy in football. Sure, a team can blitz the linebackers, but if the play backfires, the offense can achieve a significant gain with so much open ground in the defensive backfield. Contrast that to a safety blitz, where only one defender leaves his position. A backfire there likely results in a smaller gain for the offense. The moral of the story is that shifting can still occur, but will be a bigger gamble and most likely used far less often that we have become used to seeing.

Just how often might we see an outfield where, as Keith Hernandez would say, “you could drive a tank division through there.” Stark documents a conversation he had with two unnamed baseball executives on expected frequency of creative shifting, such as a two-man outfield.

“Under a dozen, comfortably,” an exec said, then waved over another member of his front office to pose the same question.

“If you’re asking what’s the over/under line, I’d say a dozen,” that exec said.

“I thought it would probably be closer to a half-dozen,” the first exec replied.

It may be fun to see a two-man outfield. Perhaps we will when Daniel Vogelbach strides to the plate. The situation will have to be right. It’s doubtful teams will use the shift when there are runners on base, the risk would be too high. However, imagine seeing Vogelbach run around the bases, with fans (if at Citi Field) standing and yelling “stop!” while others yell “go!”. All the while, Vogelbach is chugging, seemingly in slow motion.

Baseball is supposed to be fun. Now that would be fun.

The post No Infield Shifts in 2023, But How About A Two-Man Outfield? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Tim Locastro, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Veterans Tim Locastro and Abraham Almonte are off to a hot start this spring.

The two outfielders are having strong camps so far, and showing off the Mets outfield depth for the upcoming season. The three starters are penciled in, Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, Mark Canha, but there’s certainly opportunity for someone to pick up playing time off the bench.

A large group of Mets potential outfield options join Locastro and Almonte. Tommy Pham signed a one-year deal this offseason, Darin Ruf was not cut by the team, and prospects Brett Baty and Mark Vientos have been asked to play the outfield before.

With the way the Mets spring has started, they’re going to need a bigger bench.

Locastro, 30, is a major base stealing threat. He’s reached base seven times this spring, with four extra-base hits and stolen four bases. No other player on the Mets has more than one.

Locastro is most known for not getting caught stealing in the first four seasons of his career. It’s well-known and proven that if he gets on base he’s going to run. Last season with the Yankees, Locastro reached base 10 times. He attempted 10 steals, swiping eight bags and getting caught twice.

With larger bases and rules limiting pickoffs, Locastro seems to be taking full advantage to show off his wheels this spring and show his value to the Mets this season.

Almonte, 33, has been a career journeyman. He’s never played more than 82 games as a major leaguer in a single season. He’s been with Seattle, San Diego, Cleveland, Kansas City, Arizona, Atlanta, and Boston. So far this spring he’s shown why he’s been able to catch on across the country.

Almonte is 6-for-13 with two doubles and three runs batted in. He maintains a slash line of .538/.667/.692 right now.

Pham has yet to get in a groove this spring. He’s one-for-16 with two walks and five strikeouts. Still he has the most regular season success of any backup Mets option. Pham has been an above average hitter in six of his eight seasons, most recently in 2021.

Every major projection system predicts a bounce back from Pham. In 2022 he had an 89 wRC+. The lowest he’s projected to have this year is a 98 wRC+, a hair below average.

Then the Mets have the rookies. Baty got his first taste of major league action last season in September and with a big spring, he should be back on the roster. Baty is hitting .471/.526/.706 in nine games with a home run and four runs batted in. His plan is to be the Mets third basemen and not an outfielder but the Mets have made him play there just in case in the past.

Vientos is hitting .304/.304/.652. He’s been smashing baseballs with two home runs and two doubles but he’s also struck out eight times to zero walks in nine games. That’s not going to make the Mets give him a bench role over Ruf.

The wild card for the Mets will be Ruf. He was as bad as someone could be for a trade deadline acquisition. He wasn’t even bad for a trade deadline acquisition, he was just flat out horrific. He has yet to make an appearance this spring. Manager Buck Showalter said there was a date he would play in his mind on Feb. 28 but didn’t want to commit to it.

The Mets have the depth to get creative with their outfield alignments. The main question is who do they turn to when it’s needed.

The post Mets Showing Outfield Depth Early In Spring Training appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Right before the first Spring Training game of the 2023 season, the New York Mets made a move to add another outfielder to the organization. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets signed outfielder Jaylin Davis to a minor league deal and he received an invite to spring training.

Last season, Davis spent the majority of the year in the Boston Red Sox organization after being claimed off waivers from the Giants in late April. The 28-year-old appeared in 12 games for Boston and had a slash line of .333/.407/.375 with two RBIs. In total, Davis has just two home runs and four extra-base hits in 38 career major league games.

While Davis has not hit as many home runs in the big leagues, he does provide some versatility defensively in his ability to play all three outfield positions. Whether it was with the Red Sox or their Triple-A affiliate in Worcester, Davis spent the bulk of last season in center field, but has played mostly in right field over the course of his career.

One of the main problems for Davis is that he does have the tendency to strike out a lot. According to FanGraphs, Davis struck out around 31% of the time in Worcester last year and hit a groundball 46.5% of the time, which led to a low OPS of .647.

While Davis did have a high strikeout rate last year, he did a good job finding his way on base by drawing walks. His 43 walks in 88 games (12.4% walk rate) were the fifth-most on the Worcester roster and his combined total of 46 walks between both Boston and San Francisco was the second-most in his career (65 in 2019).

Back in 2019, Davis had arguably the best season of his career in the Twins organization. The former 24th round pick of the Twins back in 2015 had a combined slash line of .306/.397/.590 with 35 home runs, 94 RBIs, and an .987 OPS at Double-A Pensacola and Triple-A Rochester. He also has shown glimpses of good power in the past as he had a three-home run game back in 2017 for then Low-A Cedar Rapids:

Even though Davis only had four stolen bases a season ago, he is a player known for his plus speed and power as once noted by San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler.

Davis ended up finishing the year at Triple-A Sacramento after being acquired by the Giants in the deal that sent reliever Sam Dyson to San Francisco. The Mets will be hoping that Davis can find some of that power from 2019 as he has a combined 21 home runs in his last three minor league seasons going back to 2020.

Earlier that year, Davis didn’t begin his season until June 10 due to a partial tear of the patellar tendon in his left knee that occurred during spring training. He would wind up making two other IL stints that year, including once for a left hamstring strain.

If anything, the Davis signing gives the Mets more depth at Triple-A Syracuse going into the year. In camp, the Mets have five different non-roster invitee outfielders (Tim Locastro, Abraham Almonte, Davis, DJ Stewart, and Lorenzo Cedrola). Stewart was also signed earlier this month.

It never hurts to have too much outfield depth and it’s a low-risk move for the Mets to add a player that can give versatility defensively and hope to show the power that he is capable of having at Port St. Lucie. And, maybe for the Mets, if he gets that opportunity.

The post Mets Add Outfield Depth With Jaylin Davis Signing appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training in less than a month, the Mets roster is largely set. Despite additions of big names like Justin Verlander and Kodai Senga, and important bullpen pieces like Brooks Raley and David Robertson, the team still has small holes. (A Carlos Correa signing would’ve plugged one in a big way, but alas.) Surefire bullpen depth and right-handed hitting depth in the outfield are two of them.

At a press conference on Tuesday to introduce Adam Ottavino and Omar Narváez, general manager Billy Eppler said the team is still engaged in the market for outfielders and relievers. He said they’ve looked at free agents and the trade market. “Whether anything actually comes to fruition remains to be seen,” Eppler said. Though he said the team has a “strong a deep lineup,” there are always ways for the team to get better.

Over the last week, the Mets have been tied to bats like Tommy Pham, Andrew McCutchen and Trey Mancini. The latter two have signed with teams, so the free agent market on that end is a struggle after Pham and Adam Duvall. Free agent relievers like Zack Britton, Andrew Chafin, Will Smith, Brad Hand, Michael Fulmer and more are still available, though.

Some other notes from the press conference include:

• Eppler wouldn’t say if he’s had extension talks with Pete Alonso or Jeff McNeil, noting that he likes to keep those conversations “internal.”
• He couldn’t comment on the Correa situation
• He believes that a contact approach at the plate will get rewarded in 2023 because of the shift rules, but he wants the organization’s hitting philosophy to include contact, power and getting on base.

The post Eppler: Mets “Engaged” In Outfield, Bullpen Markets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

David Peralta

Position: OF
Bats/Throws: L/L
Age: 35 (8/14/1987)
2022 Traditional Stats: 134 G, 490 PA, .251/.316/.415/.731, 12 HR, 30 2B, 59 RBI, 110 H
2022 Advanced Stats: 109 OPS+, 104 wRC+, 0.7 bWAR, 1.7 fWAR, 8.4 BB%, 23.3 K%, .307 BABIP, .313 xwOBA, -5 DRS, 5 OAA

Rundown

David Peralta has been one of the most under-appreciated players in Major League Baseball for nearly a decade. In his career he has never been an All-Star and has played for Diamondbacks teams and a 2022 Rays team that can most aptly be described as underwhelming and disappointing. With just one Silver Slugger award and one Gold Glove award in nine years in the league you would think he hasn’t had a big impact, but that simply isn’t true.

Since he made his major league debut in 2014, Peralta has a career OPS just under .800 and in only one full season has he had an OPS+ below 100. He was mostly productive last year in his age-34 season, in which he posted a .731 OPS and a 109 OPS+. These numbers are negatively skewed due to a poor stint with the Rays, whom he joined at the trade deadline. Before this trade, Peralta enjoyed a productive half-season with the Diamondbacks where he put up a .777 OPS and a 118 OPS+.

Peralta’s numbers show that he has been a reliable contact hitter throughout his career, eclipsing a .285 batting average in five of his nine seasons. He has also flashed power at times, blasting a career-high 30 home runs in 2018 and in 2022 he hit at a rate of 22 home runs over a full 162 games before his trade to the Rays in July.

In 47 games with Tampa Bay, though, he failed to register any home runs and posted a less-than-ideal .652 OPS. Whether this struggle was due to a failure to acclimate to a new environment, age catching up to him, or another unknown factor is unclear.

What is clear is that Peralta’s performance has declined the past two seasons. His last two OPS totals of .731 and .728 are below his career OPS of .796 and he has only hit 20 home runs in his last 1000-plus plate appearances. Additionally, his batting average, on-base percentage, and walk-to-strikeout ratio in 2022 were all the lowest of his career over a full season. This late in his career, can he turn it around? Teams interested in his services will have to answer that question for themselves.

Contract

Spotrac.com believes Peralta has a market value of $8.3 million, which they estimate he will receive on a one-year deal. This valuation feels reasonable, though it’s possible he might not even make that much. A.J. Pollock signed a one-year, $7 million deal this offseason, and it can easily be argued he’s the better and more valuable player of the two. Because Peralta is turning 36 this August and has shown a decline in his performance, he may have to settle for a cheaper deal wherever he goes.

Recommendation

It’s no secret that the Mets are in need of, and are looking for, a fourth outfielder. Even with Andrew McCutchen now off the board, there are plenty of options out there that are on-par with, or better than, Peralta. Adam Duvall and Tommy Pham are names that have been linked to the Mets who might be better fits for the team. Duvall and Pham are also known for their prowess against southpaw pitchers, a skill that the Mets are desperate for that they wouldn’t receive with Peralta, a lefty himself.

The Mets should focus on the names listed above before they consider signing Peralta. They could certainly do worse if they land him as a fourth outfielder, but there are better fits for the team and what it is looking for at the moment.

The post MMO Free Agent Profile: David Peralta, OF appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Updated Post – Jan. 13, 12:45

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that the Mets have interest in outfielder Tommy Pham. The news comes on the same day that veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen signed with the Pirates. The Mets were one of the teams hoping to sign McCutchen to add outfield depth.

Pham, 34, hit .238/.316/.372 with 23 doubles, 17 home runs, 63 RBIs, and a well-below-average 87 OPS+ in 144 games between the Reds and Red Sox during the 2022 season. The right-handed hitter did fare better against lefties though with a .273/.338/.446 slash line. Pham has experience playing all three outfield spots, but he played only left field in 2022 and was a poor defender there with -6 outs above average.

Original Post – Jan. 12, 16:30

According to MMO sources, the Mets have varying levels of interest in all of the top remaining players in the outfield market that includes Andrew McCutchen, Jurickson Profar, Adam Duvall, and Trey Mancini. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Wednesday night that the Mets have interest in McCutchen for their fourth outfielder role.

Profar and Duvall are still looking to find a starting outfield gig and the Mets are seemingly set with Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, and Mark Canha. However, Marte is coming off core surgery and the Mets prefer Canha as more of a 120-start outfielder than every day. Still wouldn’t ensure Profar or Duvall a starting role, but maybe if their free agency reaches closer to spring training they might have a change of heart.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each player:

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, though Duvall hit just .213/.276/.401 overall in 2022.

Duvall does have three seasons of at least 30 home runs with the most recent being the 38 he blasted in 2021. The 34-year-old doesn’t have significant splits but he has been slightly better vs lefties (.771 OPS) than righties (.749 OPS) during his career.

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. The 29-year-old has struggled to be a consistent offensive contributor in his career with a wRC+ below average (100) in four of the seven seasons with at least 200 at-bats. And he certainly doesn’t help the Mets in terms of adding power, one of the offensive needs this offseason.

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew McCutchen

McCutchen, 36, slashed 237/.316/.384 in 134 games a season ago for the Brewers, posting career lows in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. However, he still hit 17 homers and collect 69 RBIs.

While he used to be a premier center fielder, McCutchen is now really only a corner outfield option, although he did play all three spots for the Brew Crew in 2022. Despite his age, he finished with plus-4 DRS in the outfield a season ago.

Offensively, Cutch still held his own against lefties in 2022 with a .738 OPS, and the season before he crushed them to the tune of 1.027 OPS. For his career, Cutch is a .300/.394/.542 hitter against left-handed pitching. Given that the Mets don’t currently have a strong candidate to DH vs lefties and that the right-handed hitting Canha has reverse career splits, Cutch’s ability to hit lefties would certainly be a welcome addition.

Trey Mancini

The 30-year-old is certainly familiar with Mets manager Buck Showalter having played multiple seasons under him in Baltimore. Mancini’s 2022 season was off to a solid start with a 116 wRC+ in Baltimore before a deadline deal sent him to the Houston Astros. The right-handed hitter struggled down the stretch for Houston with a 77 wRC+ in 51 regular season games and then he went just 1-for-21 with eight strikeouts in the Astros World Series run.

Mancini struggled a bit during his first season back from beating colon cancer with a 104 wRC+ to go along with 21 home runs and 71 RBIs in 147 games for the Orioles. His best season came in 2019 when he posted career-highs in wRC+ (132), home runs (35), RBIs (97), and fWAR (3.4). Mancini is another player without significant splits with a .786 OPS vs righties and .790 OPS vs lefties in his career.

On the defensive side, Mancini has become primarily a first base/designated hitter while still playing a few games as a corner outfielder each of the last two seasons.

The only other primary outfielder on the Mets 40-man roster besides the three starters is prospect Khalil Lee coming off a season in which he posted an OPS under .700 in Triple-A.

The next tier of free agent outfielders includes Chad Pinder, Lorenzo Cain, Tommy Pham, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Tyler Naquin.

The post Mets Showing Interest in Tommy Pham appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Mets fans, an all-new episode is here!

This week Mike and I discuss the end to the Carlos Correa saga, how the Mets can pivot from after losing Correa to Minnesota, what it means for Eduardo Escobar/Brett Baty, and much more!

How can the Mets pivot after losing a deal for Correa to the Minnesota Twins? At this point in the offseason, Mike thinks it would be tough to trade for an impact bat, but for now the focus should be on how the Cohen and the Mets handled the Correa negotiations and the impact it could have:

“Firstly, when you look at the deal the Twins offered Correa, I think it’s a bad look for Cohen and the Mets to have not at least matched it. Unless there really was something so bad and immediately wrong with the ankle, to not at least match the six years/$200 million doesn’t seem right after the Mets were already in agreement on a deal with Correa. Another aspect is that Cohen has absolutely set the Mets up for a grievance if Correa chooses to go that route.”

Watch and subscribe to the MMO Youtube channel here.

The post MMO Weekly Episode 31: Twins Sign Correa, Mets Outfield Options appeared first on Metsmerized Online.