In a surprising move on Tuesday, the New York Mets acquired an outfielder. No, it wasn’t Juan Soto (at least not yet), but they managed to land defensive star Jose Siri from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for relief pitching prospect Eric Orze.
Mets land Jose Siri from the Rays
Siri isn’t much of a hitter, as his career 89 wRC+ indicates. However, he has some modest power (peaking at 25 home runs in 2023 and contributing 18 last year), speed, and what you call game-changing defense.
Siri’s acquisition makes sense for the Mets as a replacement for Harrison Bader. He possesses similar defense and speed, and the same offensive limitations, but with a bit more power and way cheaper. The former Rays outfielder is slated to make around $2.5 million in 2025 and will be under team control until 2027.
- Mets sport a triple-digits pitcher in the minors primed for a huge 2025 season
- Mets eyeing ‘franchise-friendly’ deal with free-agent slugger
- Mets have a position battle unfolding at third base
Siri will help the Mets buy some time
As the Mets’ fourth or fifth outfielder (depending on how the offseason goes), Siri is a great fit. He gives the team a 2-WAR player (his outputs in the last three seasons were 1.8, 2.6, and 1.9) with Gold Glove-caliber defense at a key position in today’s game: center field. Siri allows the Mets to buy more time for Drew Gilbert and Jett Williams, two top prospects who might still need some seasoning in Triple-A.
The defense is really special. Siri finished the 2024 campaign with 12 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) in 2024, plus 16 Outs Above Average (OAA). The eye test, in this case, doesn’t lie — Siri is as good as he looks out there.
Orze is an MLB-ready reliever looking for a chance to contribute. The Rays could trust him in a role on their roster, as he posted a 2.92 ERA in 61.2 Triple-A innings with the Mets last year, striking out 84. He pitched 1.2 frames with the big league team.
