The New York Mets were in the market for a dynamic outfielder this offseason and were hoping to land a centerfielder to be the glue they’ve been needing for several years now.
It didn’t materialize. There was talk of the Boston Red Sox star Mookie Betts, the 2018 AL MVP, coming over in a blockbuster deal. Then a more reasonable deal involving Sterling Marte of the Pittsburgh Pirates also dissipated leaving the Mets with just one new face in the outfield mix this spring – light-hitting free agent Jake Marisnick, formerly of the Houston Astros.
So, where does that leave the Mets come April? Last year, they mixed and matched a bunch of corner outfielders with excess infielders along with Juan Lagares, who is no longer here. Marisnick basically replaces him, so there’s no real gain there.
Coming back this season are the core two, Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo, J.D. Davis (who can also play third base) and backup first baseman Dominic Smith. They still don’t have that everyday centerfielder they’ve been craving though.
From Anthony DiComo:
Despite months’ worth of rumors connecting the Mets to Starling Marte, Mookie Betts and others, plus speculation that they might ship Nimmo out of town, the Mets appear likely to enter this season with a familiar outfield: Davis, Nimmo and Conforto, from left to right. The team acquired Marisnick as a defensive-minded option to spell Nimmo in center, and Smith is still around to back up in left. The wild card here is Yoenis Céspedes, whose renegotiated contract eliminated a potential barrier to playing time. Until the Mets report to Spring Training, they won’t have a great idea of how much — if anything — Céspedes can provide after losing more than a season and a half to injuries.
How much Cespedes has left is a huge question and at this point of his career can only play on the corner, pushing wither Nimmo or Conforto to center and putting either one of them, or Davis, on the bench. The defense is going to suffer no matter what. Marisnick is there to balance things out, but he doesn’t provide the offense the other can.
If the Mets do manage to pull off a trade, it doesn’t seem like they’ll get a centerfielder that could much of a differed without giving up some pitching assets, which they are reluctant to do unless it’s for the right player.