There are still some attractive offensive players on the free agent market and trade possibilities, but the Mets are still in wait-and-see mode when it comes to adding bats.
“I'm not necessarily going to close the door on that, but I also don't think it's required,” President of Baseball Operations David Stearns said Wednesday on a Zoom call. “Some of it is interconnected with third base, and we have young players at third base. We want to make sure we have enough at-bats.”
Brett Batty and Mark Vientos are the Mets' main third base options, and Stearns said he expects that to continue heading into spring training.
Ronnie Mauricio has been removed from the squad after undergoing surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, and will remain sidelined until at least September.
Vientos has shown good performance offensively, but struggled last season with limited opportunities to play third base.
“Sometimes when you're talking about the DH position, it's kind of a bat-first guy and it can be helpful to rotate guys around,” Stearns said. “We haven't made a firm decision on that yet. I think it's a little early to make a decision yet, so we're still in discussions.”
J.D. Martinez, Justin Turner, and Jorge Soler are among the names still available on the free agent market.
As for the decision to give Batty and Vientos a chance at third base, Stearns said it was to see what the Mets had in their young players.
“I believe that over time, it will pay off for us as an organization and we will get some really quality players, solid players who can contribute to the organization for a long time,” Stearns said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what our young players can do, and I think some of them can play third base.”
Stearns said as negotiations with Yoshinobu Yamamoto neared the end of last month, it became clear that the Japanese right-hander preferred the Dodgers.
The Mets offered Yamamoto a 12-year contract worth $325 million, the same deal Yamamoto received with the Dodgers.
“We certainly had an obligation to do our best in everything we did,” Stearns said. “I think we did it as an organization. I think we were very competitive. I think we showed integrity throughout the process, but we didn't get players. . It's a shame for sure…We have to move forward and keep doing our job.”
The Mets have signed right-handed relief pitcher Yaxel Rios to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training.
Rios, 30, appeared in three games for the Athletics last season.
