The Mets have reached an agreement with Albert Almora in anticipation of a physical, and it is possible that this will regulate how they will approach midfield this season, with the former Cub serving as the caddy for Brandon Nimmo.
But they did so much background work on Jackie Bradley Jr. that I will continue to believe that if the designated hitter is adopted by the NL and Bradley remains a free agent at that point, the Mets will at least consider him.
Over the past week, the Mets had an extensive Zoom meeting with Bradley, including team chairman Sandy Alderson, acting GM Zack Scott, coach Chili Davis and first base / outfield coach Tony Tarasco. Scott in particular knows Bradley well from their shared time with the Red Sox.
The problem was that Bradley never fully modified the Mets, as they were built without being able to use a DH. His presence would have forced the Mets to decide every day who doesn’t play between Bradley, Nimmo, Pete Alonso and Dom Smith.
Right now, MLB is operating as if there won’t be a universal DH in 2021. But many team executives and agents think there could still be a last-second reversal, in part because the union wants to, but that’s what clubs do as a way . to further protect pitchers. MLB has hated to just give in and hand it over to the union without getting any kind of reciprocity. Their preference was to trade in for extended playoffs. The union has been solid and would not be an exchange.
If the NL were to take the DH, an argument could be made that no available free agent would help the 2021 Mets more than Bradley due to a knock-on effect: Bradley is an elite defensive midfielder, he would make Nimmo an below average midfielder to an above average left fielder, which would move Dom Smith from a below average left fielder to at least average first baseman and make Pete Alonso – an inferior first baseman for Smith – the DH.
That would improve Mets’ attack by keeping all the bats in the lineup. But most of all it would help the pitching staff with a much better defense. The Mets have been a terribly defensive team in recent years. But if they were ever able to get Bradley on duty or Lorenzo Cain from Milwaukee in a trade (Cain owes $ 35 million for the next two years), Wilson Ramos, Robinson Cano, Amed Rosario and Nimmo James McCann, Jeff McNeil, Francisco Lindor and Bradley / Cain. So from one of the worst to one of the best.
In theory, if the DH came to NL, the Mets could try to sign Justin Turner to play, for example, third base 110 games and DH 50. But that wouldn’t affect the defense nearly as much.
For now, the Mets are making a cheap protection campaign with Almora. He would essentially fill the role that Jake Marisnick had last year as the righteous addition to Nimmo. Except that Marisnick is better than Almora on both sides of the ball.
Now Mets ‘former GM Jared Porter was the head of Cubs’ Pro Scouting in 2016, when Almora broke in, and there were beliefs he would turn into a two-way asset. But Almora is a lot like Juan Lagares. He had an early and attacking promise. But the offense never materialized, and now even the defense has dropped at least a figure.
Perhaps Almora will start against leftists, even though he has only played .212 vs. left-handers has hit with a .533 OPS. He probably plays late in defense, although of the 59 central fielders with the most tries last year, Almora was in 45th place in outs above average. Nimmo, however, was 58th. Bradley came in second.
Almora essentially ticks a box – right hitter who is better at center than Nimmo. So the Mets enlisted him to play a part. Bradley is a much bigger difference maker which is why teams like the Red Sox, Giants, Astros and a few others remain engaged. If the DH comes to NL and Bradley remains available, the Mets must jump on him again or try to trade for Cain.