The New York Mets continue to ransack the offseason market as they attempt to build a viable contender in the NL East in 2019.
And they’re making progress.
Atop the list of priorities for new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen this winter has been the bullpen, a catcher and a center fielder. So far he’s been active, acquiring closer Edwin Diaz and former Met reliever Jeurys Familia while he continues to scour the baseball world for a true, No. 1 catcher.
The Mets’ search for a right-handed center fielder to line up with lefties Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto has taken them to the free-agent market, as multiple reports noted on Wednesday that they met with veteran Adam Jones in Las Vegas.
Jones has been one of the faces of the Baltimore Orioles franchise for the past 11 years, garnering five All-Star appearances while putting up 162-game averages of .279/.319/.459 with 27 home runs and 87 RBI.
Now at 33 years old, Jones has shown signs of slowing down, especially last season for the MLB-worst Orioles. In 145 games he batted .281 with just 15 home runs and 63, his lowest marks since 2008. Yet he remains one of the most reliable players in the league, accruing at least 580 plate appearances in each of the last nine seasons.
The Mets have also been linked with AJ Pollock as another option in center this offseason.
Considering the market for Jones has been slow, the Mets could nab him at a bargain while creating the illusion that they are splurging on larger names. While Jones would be transitioning to a much more unfriendly ballpark for hitters in Citi Field, a change of scenery could provide a spark for him. His down season could have simply been chalked up to the monotony of playing on a horrendously bad team.
New York’s interest in Jones makes current right-handed center fielder Juan Lagares expendable, despite Van Wagenen saying earlier this week that the Mets were relying on him. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reported on Wednesday that Lagares, who is owed $9 million in 2019, is indeed being shopped.
It will be difficult for the Mets to trade away Lagares despite being one of the best defensive center fielders in the game. The 29-year-old has been hampered by injuries for most of his career as he’s played in less than 100 games in each of the past three years, including just 30 in 2018.
