The New York Mets are still looking into several free agent relievers and a couple of bats to fill out their roster.
The New York Mets have been quiet the past couple of weeks, but don’t let that fool you. They aren’t done shaping their roster quite yet.
Although the marquee moves of the offseason, such as the Edwin Diaz trade and the Wilson Ramos signing are done, SNY’s Andy Martino reports on Twitter that the team is still kicking around several names.
Mets still actively pursuing free agents for CF, INF, pen. Sifting through names like Warren, Justin Wilson, Asdrubal, Marwin Gonzalez. Looking to trade a catcher, more likely Plawecki. Still work to do before spring training.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) January 2, 2019
Martino reports that the team is still looking at somebody who can play center field. The team currently has Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto locked in as corner outfielders, but center field is a question mark.
Oft-injured Juan Lagares looks to be the likely starter in center the way the roster currently stands with Yoenis Cespedes out until at least the summer. While the injury-prone A.J. Pollock is an option, Marwin Gonzalez also makes sense for the Mets.
He has the ability to play all four infield positions and has also played left field. He’s only played three games at center, meaning that one of Nimmo or Conforto would have to play center, but the team has done that frequently over the past two years. He also possesses a career slash of .264/.318/.419, and his versatility would give Mickey Callaway a ton of options each game.
Asdrubal Cabrera spent 2016-2018 with the team before being traded to the Phillies. He played second base, third base, and shortstop for the team, slashing .279/.339/.464 as a Met.
He would serve as an effective backup infielder for a Mets team looking to get a veteran on the bench with Amed Rosario and Jeff McNeil on the roster. For his career, he’s slashed .269/.330/.424 with 162 home runs and 32 stolen bases.
The Mets have looked at Justin Wilson and former Yankees pitcher Adam Warren to add to their bullpen depth. Wilson makes a lot of sense as the team needs a lefty in the bullpen. Wilson has a career 3.33 ERA and lefty hitters hit only .190 off of him last season.
Warren has a career 3.42 ERA and has re-invented himself as a middle reliever after failing to make it as a starter. The righty would add depth to the bullpen, but the team would still need a lefty if they signed him.
He spent parts of seven seasons with the Yankees from 2012-2018, collecting a 3.18 ERA with the team, so he’s shown he can handle pitching in New York.
It’s been a boring couple of weeks for the New York Mets, but the team isn’t done quite yet.
