New York Mets Are Hopeful in Jed Lowrie

Sep 7, 2019; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets pinch hitter Jed Lowrie (4) reacts after striking out with two men on base against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fourth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Jed Lowrie’s 2019 season for the New York Mets fell into the “typical Mets” column when it comes to free-agent signings. The 36-year old utility infielder only played in nine games during September and did not play a single out in the field. As he heads into the second and final year of his deal, the Mets hope to milk plenty of baseball out of him.

Lowrie is progressing nicely from his lower body ailments, which cost him a majority of his season. If you can think of a lower-body injury, chances are Lowrie had it at some point during 2019. Brodie Van Wagenen is confident Lowrie will make his way back to the field to contribute during Spring Training. Despite his vote of confidence, the praise for Lowrie could be a ploy to draw in teams to trade for him.

Will He Stay or Will He Go?

The Mets aired out their desire to move the switch-hitting fielder before opening day. Lowrie came off an All-Star campaign during the 2018 season. He hit .267/.353./.448 with a career-high 23 home runs and 99 RBIs. Lowrie 4.8 WAR would have been the fourth-highest on the 2019 Mets roster, trailing Jacob deGrom, Jeff McNeil, and Pete Alonso.

Lowrie’s revamped swing in 2018 allowed him to reach levels he never peaked at during his career. A significant concern for Lowrie is his age. He is going into his age-36 season and virtually spent a whole season on the sidelines. Lowrie’s swinging strike percentage had steadily increased from 6.3 in 2014 to 8.5 in 2018. During his short stint in 2019, it was at 13.9 percent.

Lowrie had plenty of rust on him, which leads to that number likely being an anomaly. Much like Yoenis Cespedes, whichever team has Lowrie will ease him back into action with plenty of care. The Mets offense will be dynamic enough without him where he will not have the pressure to contribute at an All-Star level again. Should Lowrie stay healthy, he will give the Mets a very deep bench which they have lacked for years.