New York Mets Interested in Extension with Neil Walker
Neil Walker was a temporary fix for the New York Mets after they lost Daniel Murphy. Now it looks like he has played his way into a long-term situation with the team.
The New York Mets acquired Neil Walker last offseason in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. They sent Jonathon Niese to the Pirates in exchange. The team made the deal after they lost Daniel Murphy to the Washington Nationals as a free agent. The move was looked at as a temporary fix in the Mets lineup. Walker has played above expectations this year and now it looks like it will pay off. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson has said he plans to talk to Walker’s representatives about a new contract before he hits free agency at the end of the season.
Walker, 30, is having one of the best seasons of his career. He is hitting .268/.330/.449 with 19 home runs and 49 RBI. He has been a bright spot in a Mets lineup that is one of the worst in baseball this season. His home run rate is the highest of his career at one home run every 21 at-bats. The second highest rate Walker has had in that category was in 2014, where he hit a home run ever 24 at-bats. That is very surprising considering he is now hitting in one of the most pitcher-friendly ball parks in all of baseball. Walker’s numbers don’t lie; it is time that he gets paid.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
The Mets have to be ecstatic about the trade they made to acquire Walker. They traded a long-time Met Jonathon Niese. Niese had struggled immensely with the Pirates with a 4.91 ERA in 111 innings. He was then moved to the bullpen, where he did not pitch well either. Niese was so disappointing that the Pirates actually traded him back to the Mets in exchange for Antonio Bastardo right before the trade deadline. It is safe to say that the Mets won the trade made last offseason.
The talks of extension come after the team traded away one of their top prospects infielder Dilson Herrera. Herrera was slated to play second base in the big leagues, which would have forced Walker to find a new team. Instead the team traded Herrera to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for outfielder Jay Bruce. The team must have liked the production they were getting from Walker and decided they didn’t need Herrera.
Next: Active Players with Best Chances for 3,000 Hits
Walker’s bat isn’t the only thing that has the Mets talking an extension. After David Wright went down for the season, there seemed to be a void in leadership on the team. Walker has filled that void as he is one of the vocal leaders for the Mets. With the team struggling so far this season, the leadership from Walker is exactly what the team needed. They currently sit at 57-55, which has them 2.5 games out of the last Wild Card spot in the National League. The Mets will rely on Walker’s bat and leadership down the stretch to make a run at the postseason.