New York Mets Rumors: Denard Span The Top Choice For Outfield?
New York Mets Rumors: Denard Span supposedly tops the Mets wishlist to platoon in centerfield. If they cannot sign him, where would they turn?
The New York Mets have addressed multiple needs thus far this winter. They have addressed their needs up the middle in the infield, bringing in Neil Walker in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and signing free agent Asdrubal Cabrera.
They already have a stud starting staff led by multiple young power arms, and a solid young starting catcher in Travis d’Arnaud. That gives the Mets a strong up the middle, but the one position you will see missing is centerfield.
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That is an area that the Mets are still attempting to fill. Juan Lagares fell off in 2015 from 2014, and the Mets are no longer comfortable with him being their everyday centerfielder. When the Mets took off last season it was in part because they moved Lagares into a platoon role, starting against left-handed pitching and being used as a late game replacement against righties.
That is a strategy that the Mets would like to replicate in 2016, but they do not currently have the personnel to do so. With Yoenis Cespedes a free agent and unlikely to return, and Michael Conforto locked into an everyday role in left field, Lagares is currently penciled in as the everyday center fielder.
That is something the Mets are still looking to address, and according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN the picture is starting to become clear as to who they are targeting.
The #Mets have Denard Span, Will Venable and Alejandro De Aza on their radar as left-handed CF options. They're slow-playing it.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) December 21, 2015
Absent from that list is Gerardo Parra, someone many thought would top the Mets list as a platoon player. But, his yearning for a multi-year deal, as he supposedly has a three-year deal already on the table, and his drop off in play with the Baltimore Orioles after being traded there at the trade deadline, is probably pushing the Mets in a different direction. Also, his defense slipped, which is another negative against him.
Of the players mentioned, Denard Span is the player the Mets would really like to get. He has the strongest defensive metrics of those the trio, and is a winner. He could slot in at the top of the order for the Mets to set the table for their middle of the order bats.
The problem with Span is that he is coming off injury marred season, as he appeared in only 61 games last season because of hip surgery. He is also represented by super agent Scott Boras, who is very open with his expectations of a multi-year deal for Span.
Less than two weeks ago, Marc Craig of Newsday reported that the Mets have not ruled out a multi-year deal to get it done with Span.
Heard Mets maintain interest in Span and Parra to help out Lagares in CF. Not ruling out even if it requires multiyear deal.
— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) December 10, 2015
But, there are still questions as to whether Span would accept a role in a straight platoon; it is something he has never done in his career, despite it looking like something he should be doing; his batting average in the last three seasons against lefties is .239, but it jumps all the way up to .311 against righties. That would make him the perfect compliment to Lagares, who struggles against righties but can handle lefties.
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That is why the interest in Will Venable and Alejandro De Aza cannot be ignored. Both are better fits, in theory, for platoon work because they have done it previously in their careers. Both have their faults though.
Venable is the strong fielder, but less of a threat at the plate. De Aza offers very little as a centerfielder, but is the superior hitter. The one positive they bring is that their price tag will assuredly be lower than Span. With Boras not being their agent, and them being 33 and 32 years old respectively the first month of the season, they can probably be signed to a one-year deal, or a two-year deal with lower per season prices.
The Mets can take this slow, as the market for these players has not yet developed. They will have time to make a decision regarding Span, who is set to workout for teams in January to prove his health. If the Mets see that he is healthy, they will probably be more comfortable giving him a multi-year deal.
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At that point, the ball would be in Span’s court to see if he is willing to play in a platoon. The Mets certainly hope that he is, as he is a good fit for the platoon they are trying to put together in centerfield.