Mets Rumors: Interest In James Loney, Not Nick Swisher
New York Mets Rumors: With a hole to fill at first base, the Mets could look outside the organization to James Loney to fill the void.
New York Mets rumors are bound to pick up in the coming days as they look for a replacement for the injured Lucas Duda. Duda is expected to be sidelined multiple weeks, so the Mets will need someone to emerge and hold down the fort in the time being.
For now, the Mets will stick with internal options to try replacing Duda. Eric Campbell has started in his place recently, and Wilmer Flores is expected to receive a shot once he returns from the disabled list this weekend. Ty Kelly was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas and could get some at-bats also, especially if he can carry over the momentum from his .391 average in the minor leagues.
Michael Conforto is going to begin taking ground balls at first base as well, but he will probably not see live action there for a couple of weeks, as he is learning the position from scratch. While that would be the ideal situation for the Mets, moving Conforto to first base, the Mets need a first baseman in the mean time.
Could they look outside the organization for some help? If that is the route that the Mets take, they could look out west at the San Diego Padres and James Loney.
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Loney signed a minor league pact with the Padres over the summer after playing the past three seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays. He is currently at Triple-A El Paso, but there is a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave the Padres organization if a major league opportunity presented itself, which the Mets would be.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Loney’s representatives are expected to reach out to the Mets to gauge their interest in their client. Loney has been productive at Triple-A El Paso, batting .331 on the season in 148 at-bats with two home runs and 24 RBI.
While Loney will not provide the power that Duda does, he has been a consistent performer in his MLB career. In 10 seasons, Loney has slashed .285/.338/.411 and carries a good glove along with him. Most importantly, he is left-handed, something the Mets are lacking in their lineup. He would also give the Mets a legitimate backup plan at first base in case Duda is sidelined longer than they think, and gives them a much needed left-handed bat off the bench.
Another player that is in the same situation as Loney is New York Yankees’ Nick Swisher. Swisher has a deal similar to what Loney has, in that he can leave the minor leagues if a major league opportunity presents itself. Unlike Loney though, Swisher is not someone that the Mets currently have interest in according to Sherman.
Next: New York Mets: 6 Options To Replace Lucas Duda
For now the Mets are more than likely going to see how their internal options play, but Loney is someone to keep an eye on for sure.