New York Mets: 10 Centerfielders they should have on their radar
By Ed Stein
Over-Age
These four players are good, but too old for a starting role in Queens.
Jarrod Dyson (35), Dbacks – It’s hard to believe Dyson has played parts of 10 seasons in the Majors. He has never had over 400 at-bats in any year. Always a good defensive player, Dyson is one of the positive WAR free agents. His defense, however, is in decline and he’s never been a good hitter or on-base producer.
Dexter Fowler (33), Cardinals – Fowler had a decent 2019 campaign for St. Louis, producing a 0.4 WAR. His best days are clearly behind him, but he can still play center. At the plate, it’s a different story. Fowler can still take a pitch, but prior to 2018, he slashed .266/.366/.428/.794. The past two seasons he fell to .216/.321/.367/.688.
Brett Gardner (36), Yankees – Gardner had a career power year in 2019 at the plate. He hit 28 home runs and drove in 74 runs. It will be very hard for him to duplicate those numbers if he re-signed in the Bronx, due to their logjam in the outfield. The 12-year vet has spent his entire career with the Bombers and unless he gets an offer he can’t refuse from someone else, Gardner will likely stay with NYY. Additionally, he’s more of a corner outfielder at this point.
Lorenzo Cain (33), Brewers – The Valdosta, GA native had a huge fall off at the plate from his 2018 All-Star season the year prior. Cain is signed through 2022 at an average of $16M per season. It’s hard to imagine the Mets would commit that much money on a player who could be in a steep decline. They would need some money from the Brewers and that isn’t likely.