New York Mets: Should signing A.J. Pollock be their next move?

After acquiring Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz, could the New York Mets next big move be signing A.J. Pollock?

Clearly, new New York Mets GM Brodie Van Waganen isn’t playing around. The club, like every team in the NL East outside of the Miami Marlins are clearly going for it in 2019. The Cano and Diaz trade will not be their only big move that the New York Mets make. So where could they go from here?

Well, they’ve been rumored to like Corey Kluber for the rotation, J.T. Realmuto for behind the plate. They could also use an upgrade in centerfield. Juan Lagares can play the field with anyone, but he’s never healthy, and his bat didn’t develop like the team had hoped. The club is looking to address that need to and could be playing at the top of the market, as they have interest in A.J. Pollock

Pollock would certainly be a fit for the New York Mets with their hole in centerfield. Among centerfielders, only Lorenzo Cain, Manuel Margot, and Ender Inciarte have saved more runs.

The problem is Pollock has trouble staying healthy. Back in 2015, he put up MVP type of numbers with a WAR of 6.8, a .315 average with an .865 OPS in 157 games. In 2016, injuries limited him to just 12 games and over the past two seasons, he’s played in 112 and 113 games respectively.

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

On the flip side, you could say Pollock is a victim of bad luck. Over the past couple of seasons, his BABIP is .291 and .284 in spite of the fact that his hard hit % has gone from 35% to 44.5% last season, which was a career high. He also started pulling the ball more and hitting it more in the air, which fits right in with all of the trends throughout the game.

The New York Mets have payroll flexibility. Only Cano’s money is guaranteed after 2020. They are a club who has been playing second fiddle to the Yankees for a while in New York and has a fan base that has been frustrated at times with ownership and the last regime.

The New York Mets cannot count on Yoenis Cespedes for next season. Anything they get out of him is a bonus. If he comes back in August and they have Pollock, Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto if all healthy. Fine. Cross that bridge when you get there.

Pollock will fill a huge need for the New York Mets. Centerfielder. Good defensively. Right-handed power bat. The question with him is the health, but there aren’t really any centerfielders in the market. Even with the injury risks, the New York Mets can’t stop now. Go add Pollock.