New York Mets Acquire James Loney from San Diego Padres
With the news that Lucas Duda would be on the shelf for a significant amount of time, the New York Mets were on the search for a first baseman. They have done just that with their acquisition of James Loney from the San Diego Padres.
When Lucas Duda was placed on the disabled list due to a stress fracture in his back, the New York Mets were suddenly without a significant part of their offense. The team leader in home runs over the past two seasons, the Mets truly needed his power bat in the lineup. He certainly would not be easy to replace.
A few days ago, it was reported that the Mets would not be replacing Duda internally, that they would explore the trade market to find a replacement. Now, they have done just that, acquiring James Loney from the San Diego Padres in exchange for cash considerations.
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Loney is certainly not the same sort of player that Duda is. A glove first player, Loney has a career .285/.338/.411 batting line with 99 home runs and 251 doubles in his ten year career. He certainly will not be able to provide that same offensive threat that Duda had in the middle of the Mets lineup, but as a player who has saved 35 runs at first, he would be quite the defensive upgrade.
In essence, that may be all that the Mets need. With Yeonis Cespedes, Neil Walker, Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson supplying plenty of power in the lineup, the Mets really just need someone that can make contact and not be entierly incompetent at the plate. Loney can still do the first, and may well not be a complete disaster now that he is in a better lineup.
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James Loney is not going to make the New York Mets forget about Lucas Duda. He may, however, be a solid enough stopgap, and help the Mets stay afloat while they wait to see if Duda can return.