Despite having already spent a fortune this offseason, the New York Mets are not finished making changes.
The New York Mets are closing in on a deal for a fourth outfielder
The Mets still need outfield help to bolster their depth behind starters Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, and Mark Canha after failing to stage a free agency coup to bring Trea Turner in town to play center field. Furthermore, the Mets appear to be actively pursuing a former NL MVP in an effort to further bolster their roster.
The Mets are reportedly interested in signing Andrew McCutchen, the 2013 NL Most Valuable Player, as their fourth outfielder. The Mets could also experiment with Adam Duvall, David Peralta, Jurickson Profar, Trey Mancini, or Tyler Naquin besides McCutchen.
Andrew McCutchen, who was once a bona fide five-tool player, is now 36 years old and is a far cry from his former self. Even though he won a Gold Glove in 2012, he spent most of 2022 as a designated hitter. McCutchen had the worst hitting season of his career last year, with an OPS of.700 in 580 at-bats for the Milwaukee Brewers, despite making significant defensive contributions.
The Mets, however, will not be acquiring McCutchen. According to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the former Major League Baseball MVP is coming back to the team he played for for the first nine years of his professional baseball career.
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Jurickson Profar is the most alluring candidate among the aforementioned choices. Over the course of 146 games in left field, Profar’s above-average hitting helped him accumulate 2.5 WAR (as calculated by Fangraphs). He’s also impressive because he can switch positions and play in the infield. Profar is still young, at 29, and he may decide to hold out for a starting position elsewhere.
The Mets could do a lot worse than Adam Duvall if they want to find a bench power hitter in the outfield.
Even if Duvall’s bat doesn’t come around in 2023, his presence in the lineup won’t be a complete waste because he isn’t the worst fielder. The Mets’ outfielders don’t hit for much power, so Duvall could be a useful addition, especially for the team’s left-handed hitter Brandon Nimmo.
