Adrian Gonzalez passes his physical with the New York Mets
Over the weekend, the New York Mets agreed to a one-year deal with veteran first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. He passed his physical on Wednesday, meaning that the Mets can now officially announce his signing.
The Mets held a press conference on Wednesday to officially announce the signing of outfielder Jay Bruce and it appears as though they will be having another one within the next couple of days for Adrian Gonzalez.
On Wednesday, it was reported that first baseman Gonzalez passed his physical. His new deal with the Mets could not become official until he passed the physical. According to Mike Puma of The New York Post, the Mets are expected to announce Gonzalez’s signing on either Wednesday or Thursday.
Mets are expected to announced the Adrian Gonzalez signing today or tomorrow. He passed his physical.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) January 17, 2018
Gonzalez, 35, was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Atlanta Braves in December along with infielder Charlie Culberson, pitchers Scott Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy, and cash considerations in exchange for outfielder Matt Kemp. The Braves promptly designated Gonzalez for assignment and then released him a couple of days later.
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After the Braves released him, the Mets saw an opportunity to bring in the veteran first baseman on a one-year deal. Gonzalez actually has a decent chance to be the Mets Opening Day starting first baseman. General manager Sandy Alderson will have to decide what to do with Dominic Smith, as he now has the option to put Smith in Triple-A to start the season.
Smith is viewed as the Mets first baseman of the future. He was called up in August and hit .198 with nine home runs and 26 RBI in 167 at-bats. Smith is only 22, so he could benefit from a little more time in Triple-A in order to develop more.
Although Gonzalez is not the same player that he once was, he can still be a serviceable starting first baseman. Last season with the Dodgers, he batted .242 with just three home runs and 30 RBI in 71 games played. Gonzalez had a reoccurring back injury that forced him to miss more than half of 2017 season, including the playoffs.
When Gonzalez has been healthy, he has proven to be a productive player. In 2016, he batted .285 with 18 homers and 90 RBI in 156 games played.
Next: Dominic Smith helped by signing of Adrian Gonzalez
Once the Mets make the signing of Adrian Gonzalez official, we will learn more about what Alderson’s plans are regarding his role with the team this season.