The Mets have joined in the pursuit of Yankees free agent Alex Verdugo.
Before Wednesday, Verdugo’s name was rarely mentioned in free agency. Then, after FanSided’s Robert Murray reported that the Pittsburgh Pirates were interested in the outfielder, a few other teams, including the Mets, popped up as possible suitors, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.
“Pirates are indeed hot after Alex Verdugo and are a team to watch there, as (Robert Murray) reported,” Cotillo posted on X/Twitter. “Other teams like Mets, Jays involved, too.”
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The Mets have a surplus of outfielders, with Brandon Nimmo in left field, a combination of Jose Siri and Tyrone Taylor in center, and Juan Soto in right. They also have Starling Marte, who will spend more time as the designated hitter in 2025.
This begs the question: Where does Verdugo fit with the Mets?
Verdugo would be an upgrade over Siri and Taylor, especially offensively. The former is capable of hitting for power, hitting 18 and 25 home runs in the last two seasons. But his bat-to-ball skills are underwhelming, posting a combined .206 batting average with 406 strikeouts in his last three seasons.
His 35.9% strikeout percentage trails only failed Yankee Joey Gallo’s 40.6%. This paired with Siri’s poor plate discipline, his 6.2% walk percentage is in the bottom quarter of the league since 2022 (minimum 1,000 plate appearances), and you have one of the worst hitters in the league.
Verdugo is coming off an underwhelming season with the Yankees, where he hit 233/.291/.356 with 13 home runs and 61 RBI. He’s seen as a plus defender with his seven DRS ranking fourth in the American League (minimum 1,000 outfield innings).
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Manny Gómez may be reached at mgomez@njadvancemedia.com.
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