New York Mets: 10 Centerfielders they should have on their radar

The annual GM meetings are going on in Arizona. This is when New York Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen needs to find his centerfielder for 2020 and beyond.

The New York Mets fell short of the playoffs by just three games in 2019. There are several reasons why they couldn’t get over the hump, including a bad bullpen and many injuries. Among the problem areas that GM Brodie Van Wagenen needs to address is in centerfield. Incumbent Brandon Nimmo couldn’t stay healthy in 2018, so then-manager Mickey Callaway had to find a workaround.

When the Mets went for a more aggressive offensive lineup, defense in center suffered. Michael Conforto is a very good baseball player, but he is a corner outfielder and at times his deficiencies in the middle came bake to bite the team. If the Amazins played for defense, they suffered at the plate. With Juan Lagares gone, Nimmo is the New York Mets best fielder in center. He isn’t the answer either. His injury hist and sub-par advanced defense metrics show that Nimmo isn’t suited for long term success there.

Last year, Van Wagenen used his AAA roster as a way to restock the big league team. According to MLB.com, among the New York Mets top prospects, an outfielder doesn’t show up until 18th. The top three future outfielders in the pipeline are between 17-19 years old. There is no centerfielder in waiting that can come up and challenge for the job.

This means he will have to go outside of the organization to find his man. The free-agent market is virtually bereft of center fielder talent. Back again to MLB.com. They list eight free agents who play centerfield. Only two of them have a positive WAR and only three are under 31-years old. BVW will most likely have to make a trade to fill his vacancy.

After watching the team flounder the past few years in center, I have a few criteria for making my list. First, is availability. Ronald Acuna Jr., Mike Trout, and George Springer won’t be traded by their respective teams. Next is the ability to actually play a solid defensive center field. Then comes the offense, the Mets need a hitter who can either drive in runs or get on base so others can bring him home.

Finally, I’d like someone who can play for the Mets for a few seasons. Players 32 and older are not high on my radar unless it’s on a one-year contract. Centerfield is a younger man’s job. Of course, there is some give and take depending on what a player brings to the table. For example, if there is a high-end offensive talent, I could bend a little in another area.