New York Mets: 10 Centerfielders they should have on their radar
By Ed Stein
1. Mookie Betts (27), Red Sox
This is the cream of the crop. Our Dan Stokes wrote a great article about Betts and the New York Mets last month. How often does a 27-year old recent league MVP (2018) come on the trade market? The answer lies somewhere between winning Power Ball and finding a Unicorn.
If Laureno is a four-and-a-half tool player right now, Betts has all five tools in his belt. There isn’t anything he can’t do on the diamond. Before getting into what he can do at the plate, his fielding should be covered. The only reason why Betts a four-time Gold Glove and 2018 Defensive player of the year is playing right field for Boston instead of center is that they have another Gold Glove winner in center field, Jackie Bradley Jr.
At the plate, Mookie Betts is virtually unparalleled. He’s in the same category as Mike Trout and Christian Yelich in terms of an offensive weapon. To put his career in a historical perspective, Betts’ career .893 OPS is 72nd all-time (11th among active players. That’s .004 behind Bryce Harper (.897), ahead of Hall-of-Famers Willie McCovey (.8891), Willie Stargell (.8887), Eddie Matthews (.8855), and Harmon Killebrew (.8842), to name a few.
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Here are the honors Betts has piled up so far in his six-year MLB career:
- 2016 American League MVP runner-up
- 2018 American League MVP
- 2018 Sporting News Player of the Year
- 2018 World Series winner
- 2018 AL Leader in both batting average and slugging percentage
- Four-time All-Star (2016-2109)
- Three-time Silver Slugger Award (2016, 2018, 2019)
Now for the bad news, Mookie Betts is eligible for arbitration this winter, he will get a substantial raise over the $20M he made in 2019. Also, Betts can become a free agent after the 2020 season. Harper got a 13-year, $330M contract last winter. Considering Betts is the same age, has roughly the same OPS and is a superior fielder, how much can Mookie pull in as a free agent next winter? BVW will have to decide how much he wants to go in for a player the New York Mets won’t likely keep after the season.
Next. Yankees still need Brett Gardner next season. dark
What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below