On Black Friday, the New York Mets found a great deal as they added three solid bats to their lineup, with the highlight of the deal being Starling Marte.
Prior to the Mets finally landing Marte, who they have sought after since his days with the Pittsburg Pirates, they signed outfielder Mark Canha, who spent his full seven year career with the Oakland A’s and infielder Eduardo Escobar, who has bounced around the league with four different clubs since 2011.
But the biggest deal of the day for the Mets, was the Marte signing, as he alone totally revamps the Mets outfield and finally gives them the all around ball player they have been longing for. With Michael Conforto, declining the Mets qualifying offer and opting to become a Free Agent, it will be interesting to see who else the Mets will land to add to their improving team.
Marte is coming off a two year period where he played for three separate clubs and stayed consistent with the bat and on the base paths. The Dominican Republic native batted .310, with 12 home runs, 89 runs scored, 27 doubles, 55 RBIs and 47 stolen bases in 120 games in 2021.
The Mets have a threat that is capable of dominating on both the offensive and defensive sides of the game. With Marte being a true centerfielder, the Mets can now work on slotting Brandon Nimmo and new comer Canha to either side of Marte. It’s a sad day for Mets fans that Conforto is no longer in the mix.
Canha, had a solid season in the power category in 2021 as he launched 17 home runs and drove in 61 runs in 141 games. He did struggle with his batting average, hitting an overall .231 on the season, but he made strides improving his numbers as the season progressed only to struggle in August batting just .158, before bouncing back to end the season with a strong September push.
Escobar launched a total of 28 home runs in 2021, with 22 coming prior to the trading deadline with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and then six with the Milwaukee Brewers after the mid-season trade. Back in 2019 and a full season with the D-Backs, the Venezuelan native launched 35 home runs and drove in 118 runs.
Whats next for the Mets?
Rumor has it they are in the running for a Javier Baez return to Flushing, but other suitors are hoping to land the rights to his services. A Baez return will most definitely put the Mets as key contenders in the NL East and possibly one of the most feared lineups in baseball. Mets fans can start to imagine what a lineup they will have with Marte, Lindor, Alonso, Escobar and possibly a Baez return, in just one word, Powerful.
Rumor Mill
Per reports, the Mets are closing to adding Max Scherzer to the rotation in a Multi-Year deal that would be around $40 million per year.
Max Scherzer and the #Mets are close to finalizing a multiyear deal, source confirms. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 29, 2021
The 2022 season can’t come any sooner for Mets fans!!!
