The New York Mets have been the team of the offseason, and they shouldn’t stop here.
New Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen hasn’t sat around on his new job as he has totally revamped the Mets roster and put them in play for the 2019 season and become relevant again. The rookie general manager has said many times that they aren’t done with roster moves, which is exciting for fans. Everyone in the NL East is improving, except the Miami Marlins.
To further distance themselves from the crowd, the club should take the checkbook out again and sign outfielder A.J. Pollock. The club has been linked to him previously this offseason, and his market so far is quiet. The Mets have already made several splashes this winter, and this one wouldn’t be surprising. With slugger Yoenis Cespedes uncertain, the signing of Pollock would be an insurance policy. At the worst, an outfield logjam can be figured out after next season.
Even if Cespedes comes back healthy, the club would surely be happy in finding a suitor for Juan Lagares. He only played in 30 games last year, and the Mets would most likely deal him in the event of a Pollock signing. They would save some money and have centerfield open for him. New York could look for a relief pitcher in a swap with Lagares.
The Mets still have money to spend, and they have shown that with the Wilson Ramos signing. Pollock would definitely put them over the top, and maybe in World Series consideration. Pollock had a nice year hitting .257 with 21 home runs and 65 RBI. His contract should look like something in Lorenzo Cain’s range. Pollock is 31 years old, so a 4-year/$80 million deal seems right. Add in a mutual option and bonuses with milestones, and that should be that.
New York has already done well this winter, and adding to that will ultimately push them to one of the top teams in the NL. The Mets are by far the most improved team this winter so far, and another splash for Pollock would augment the team even more. The only red flag for the outfielder is that he hasn’t played a full season since 2015. Then, he hit .315 with 20 home runs and 76 RBI to go with 39 stolen bases.
So if he can get through a full season now, Pollock will hit at least 25 homers plus over 80 RBI. He may even swipe 20 bags now and again. This just seems like the right fit and the team to come and swipe him up. This is the Mets’ player to lose. This signing would put the cherry on top for the Mets’ offseason.