Do the Mets Really Need an Outfielder?
The New York Mets seem on track to enter the spring with J.D. Davis, Brandon Nimmo, and Michael Conforto as their starting outfielders. To me, this is a very promising group with talent all over.
J.D. Davis might have defensive issues but we should not judge him on this just yet. Davis has shown an impressive work ethic and it would not be a stretch to expect an improvement in 2020.
We know what Michael Conforto can do when healthy and I have optimistic expectations for Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo had a down 2019 as he dealt with injuries and struggles, but his ability to get on base still shined brightly. Hopefully, a healthy start to the season will help Nimmo capture some of the 148 OPS+ displayed in 2018.
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The wild card for the Mets will be the health and production from Yoenis Cespedes as he enters the final year of his contract. Things seem to be pointed in the right direction for Cespedes as he continues to make his way back to full strength. No one should expect him to play every day, but a healthy Cespedes could be a great weapon for Rojas to use when mixing and matching for certain pitching matchups. With these options, do the Mets really need to upgrade in the outfield?
Now, the infusion of an All-Star would always be nice, but would it be worth what the club would have to give up? Jon Heyman reported that the Pirates’ have been asking a lot for Marte and that Ronny Mauricio is a prospect of possible interest. The Mets would certainly have to give up other talent as well. This seems like a little much to give up for two years of an outfielder who is not getting any younger.
Regarding Mookie Betts, we can turn to Matthew Cerrone of MetBlog as he discussed a possible trade package in a recent article.
"To rival San Diego’s offer, Brodie Van Wagenen would need to trade Lowrie, part with two of Andres Gimenez, Ronny Mauricio, Brett Baty or Francisco Alvarez; and give up a mid-level pitching prospect, such as David Peterson. In return, the Mets get Betts, who would add $20 million to their payroll."
Once again, this seems like an insanely high asking price for one year of Mookie Betts. As I said, the addition of a player like Betts or Marte would certainly make a difference, but it seems unnecessary to mortgage the club’s future when they have a deep crop of outfielders already on the roster.
Maybe Ronny Mauricio is the missing piece to a title team in 2022? Maybe Brett Baty is David Wright Jr.? The Mets are making the right decision in holding on these prospects, as they are young and could develop into stars themselves over the next few seasons.
Would the Mets even have a chance to resign Mookie Betts in free agency? This would certainly be a major worry if the club were to trade away a majority of their higher quality minor league talent as Brodie Van Wagenen would surely want more then just a rental.
The New York Mets have a roster that can compete in 2020, they just have to put it all together. I think Brodie Van Wagenen has done an excellent job in constructing a deep roster and I believe that he definitely made the right decision in holding off on acquiring an All-Star outfielder.