The New York Mets have a case of buyer’s remorse when it comes to Jed Lowrie.
According to reports, the New York Mets are actively seeking a trade partner to take infielder Jed Lowrie off their hands. They are even rumored to be including younger players in the deal to incentivize a team to take on Lowrie’s contract. He is owed $10 million in the final year of the two year-$20 million deal he signed last offseason. First baseman Dominic Smith is one of the names being tossed around.
Lowrie was coming off an All-Star campaign in 2018 with the Oakland Athletics. That season, he hit 23 home runs and drive in 99 runs. Both these were career highs and the Mets pounced, inking him to a free agent contract.
This contract was par for the offseason course. The Mets were making a big splash prior to the 2019 season having already acquired Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz, and J.D. Davis in separate deals and signing free agent catcher Wilson Ramos.
Conceding the second base job to Cano, Lowrie was set to be a super utility infielder, having logged time at shortstop and third base previously. However, he missed all of spring training after suffering a sprained left knee capsule and began the year on the injured list.
A shoddy hamstring and sore left side prolonged his stay on the IL and a calf strain kept him on the shelf until finally making his season debut September 7th. He appeared in nine games, all as a pinch hitter, striking out four times while tallying no hits.
While the offseason acquisitions helped the team to nine more wins than the previous year, the Lowrie debacle remained a black mark on GM Brodie Van Wagenen’s record. As the 2020 season approaches the Mets are looking to unload him wherever they can find a willing trade partner. However, there are possible issues, as Lowrie will turn 36 years old shortly after Opening Day, is owed $10 million this year, and his health and injury history remain huge concerns.
Finding a suitable taker may prove challenging for the New York Mets, unless a young player is included.