Billy Hamilton figures to contribute elite baserunning and defense to the New York Mets

Knowing that Jake Marisnick is currently on the shelf with a strained left hamstring, but before Yoenis Cespedes decided to opt out of the remainder of the season, the New York Mets traded for outfielder Billy Hamilton to shore up the position.

The two mentioned players are leaving a hole in the team depth, because despite he was viewed as the Mets’ primary designated hitter, Cespedes was slated to see the outfield every once in a while.

Hamilton, despite a weak bat (.242/.297/.326 career line with a 67 wRC+), carries tremendous value as a defensive center fielder and, of course, on the basepaths with his game-changing speed. He has had a couple of +2.5 fWAR seasons (2.7 in 2014 and 2.9 in 2016) almost entirely based on those two components of the game.

In exchange, the New York Mets sent right-handed pitcher Jordan Humphreys to the San Francisco Giants.

The Mets were looking for a glove-first center fielder

Hamilton is currently in third place among active players with 299 thefts in his career. The Mets were looking for a center fielder to back up starter Brandon Nimmo while Marisnick is injured, and they found him in Hamilton. Despite his arrival, the team hasn’t activated him yet, as Ryan Cordell is serving as the backup for now.

Hamilton only batted .218 with a .564 OPS in 119 games with the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves in 2019.

Hamilton has accumulated 73 career Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) as a center fielder in the past decade.

“I had a great year in 2018 and I tell everybody — they’re like, ‘What happened, what was the difference?’” said Mets reliever Jared Hughes, one of Hamilton’s teammates on that Reds club. “I tell them, ‘Billy was my center fielder.’ He just caught everything. He robbed the homers. Anything that I gave up that was hard-hit to the outfield, Billy was there diving for it.”

Added Hughes to MLB.com: “The guy’s incredible and he’s got tons of energy. He’s a good influence in the clubhouse. Everybody loves him.”

The Mets can also use Hamilton’s speed to take advantage of the new extra inning rule.