Aside from all the current chaos that surrounds Carlos Correa, the New York Mets still need a fourth outfielder. And per a report yesterday from Jim Bowden of The Athletic, acquiring outfield depth is something that the Mets plan to address.
When reviewing the Mets outfield, they have Brandon Nimmo in center, Starling Marte in right, and Mark Canha in left. If needed, with Luis Guillorme as a quality backup second baseman, the Mets could maximize the versatility of Jeff McNeil and utilize him as their fourth outfielder. However, should they keep McNeil at second, the only backup outfielder on the roster at the moment is Khalil Lee.
Perhaps, the Mets could get really creative if they sign Correa by moving young, highly-touted prospect Brett Baty to left field, where he gained some experience, playing 11 games in the minor leagues last year. That may require some time, though as Baty would likely not be ready to open the 2023 regular season in that role.
Throughout the free agency process, there was speculation from sources, along with hope from some Mets fans, that the team would agree to a reunion with Michael Conforto. That, unfortunately, did not happen, though, as he signed with the San Francisco Giants. Conforto’s opportunities would have been limited, likely just sharing time with Marte and Canha.
- Mets could sign veteran catcher to help spell for the injured Francisco Alvarez
- The Mets are expecting a six-time all-star to join the team on Friday
- The Mets’ young catcher is set to be out for two months
Quality free agents are still on the market for the New York Mets:
As discussed yesterday, four of the best remaining options are Trey Mancini, AJ Pollack, Adam Duvall, and Jurickson Profar.
In Duvall and Mancini, the Mets would be adding power, something their lineup direly needs.
Pollack’s power was not up to his standard in 2022, but he would provide the Mets with a contact presence needed against left-handed pitching, even potentially as a right-handed designated hitter. Pollack hit .286 against lefties last year.
Profar has the least to offer the Mets at the plate out of this bunch but provides as much versatility as possible in the field. As noted in yesterday’s article, Profar has started at least 20 games at every infield and outfield position over his career. Just some incredible positional flexibility.
It is encouraging to hear that the Mets know they need depth with a fourth outfielder. There are still some viable options out there for the Mets to choose from. One of Mancini, Pollack, Duvall, or Profar would certainly make for a great addition at this later point in the offseason.