I am under the impression that anyone who thinks there is a possibility of the Metropolitans bringing in Justin Upton, Carlos Gomez or dare I say Troy Tulowitzki before the trade deadline is delusional beyond belief. Doing so would incorporate several things that we should by now are not in the DNA of the Mets’ front office. Now, keep in mind that I will reference the front office when talking about the decision makers building this team because we all know that while Alderson hasn’t done much so far as far as bringing in veteran talents, his hands are in a sailors knot that Captain Hook would shy away from.
However, I will not put to pasture the possibility (and hope) that the Mets can bring in some major-league quality bats. I am not talking about All-Stars, but rather a mid-level quality player that is a step above the cattle that include Eric Campbell (don’t cite exit-velocity), Kirk Nieuwenhuis (but he made history) and John Mayberry (no explanation needed).
The names we have heard include Gerardo Parra, Ben Zobrist and possibly even Will Venable. I look at Parra and Zobrist as not only two major-league quality bats, but guys that can play multiple positions, cost-effective and would not add lengthy contracts that could inhibit future spending (dare I say that). Because both are on expiring contracts, it’s safe to say that neither would cost the farm and definitely none of the big arms. The Mets have some decent mid-level talent in Brandon Nimmo, Michael Fulmer, Gabriel Ynoa, Paul Sewald and low level talent in Marcos Molina (although hurt) and Amed Rosario to be able to get a deal done for both.
It’s really nice to imagine a lineup with these two bats added in for the rest of the season. I’m not asking much am I? Here is a possible lineup:
- CF Gerardo Parra
- C Travis d’Arnaud (yes I’m assuming he will be back soon)
- 3B Daniel Murphy
- RF Curtis Granderson
- 2B Wilmer Flores
- 1B Lucas Duda
- LF Ben Zobrist
- SS Ruben Tejada
This lineup is so much longer and does more than just add more quality bats. It gives the Mets a real leadoff hitter and allows Curtis Granderson to fit into the core of the lineup which will hopefully give him more RBI opportunities. It’s also important to note the flexibility of this team with those two added. Parra can play all three outfield positions and is a plus defender. This gives the Mets the option to move him around and play him and Juan Lagares in the lineup together. Keep in mind that the above lineup doesn’t’ include Lagares nor Michael Cuddyer which lengthens the bench which is another weak spot for this team. Another thing to note is that if Cuddyer’s ailing knee is a season-long issue, he can slot into first-base if Lucas Duda continues to struggle.
If Cuddyer ends up on the DL, I wouldn’t mind bringing up Michael Conforto which now adds three new bats to the Mets lineup (only if he is going to start). Zobrist can play all around the infield, giving breaks to Daniel Murphy and Wilmer Flores as well as fill a gap in the outfield when needed.
Am I asking a lot? Are these moves outside the pivot-room that Alderson has? If the answer to these questions is yes, then there is evidence that the ownership group will not invest more into this team.
