5:32pm: The A’s don’t have interest in Lagares at this time, tweets the Post’s Joel Sherman, removing one speculative partner from consideration.
4:20pm: The Mets have received recent trade interest in Juan Lagares and “haven’t ruled out” a trade of the defensively gifted center fielder, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post. Per Puma, at least one AL club has maintained interest in Lagares into the middle portion of Spring Training.
Lagares, who turns 29 on Saturday, is guaranteed $6.5MM in 2018 and $9MM in 2019, plus a $500K buyout of a $9.5MM option for the 2020 season. While his bat has been a negative asset since he signed his $23.5MM extension prior to the 2015 season, his glove remains superlative; over the past three seasons, Lagares has amassed 1914 2/3 innings in the outfield (nearly all in center field) and delivered 25 Defensive Runs Saved and 22.1 Ultimate Zone Rating. Statcast’s OOA metric pegged him at seven outs better than an average defender in 2017.
Moving Lagares would obviously thin out New York’s outfield mix, though Puma notes that Brandon Nimmo could be leapfrogging Lagares on the depth chart with a strong spring showing while Lagares struggles at the dish. Michael Conforto is expected to man center field upon his return — which Puma notes could come by early May — with Yoenis Cespedes and Jay Bruce lining up in the corners. Conforto’s return would push Nimmo and Lagares further down the depth chart. Cespedes, it should be noted, is being slowed by a sore wrist, though MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets that X-rays on the wrist came back negative.
The Mets are currently set to open the 2018 season with a club-record payroll of more than $152MM, and the fact that they already have $95MM+ on the payroll for the 2019 season creates some further impetus for moving Lagares if he’s been pushed to fifth on the outfield depth chart. The Mets figure to get some of those projected Opening Day figures back in the form of an insurance policy on David Wright’s salary — he’s expected to be shut down from baseball activity for eight weeks — but it obviously stands to reason that no team would relish the notion of paying a fifth outfielder at that relatively lofty rate.
Speculatively looking around the American League, the A’s, Tigers, White Sox and Rangers were among the clubs that received questionable defensive ratings from their center field contingents in 2017, and the Royals lost Lorenzo Cain to free agency (though they’ve since added Jon Jay on an affordable one-year deal). The Mariners, meanwhile, are dealing with a thin outfield mix that is being slowed by injuries and have placed a premium on defensive value under GM Jerry Dipoto, who is never shy about making trades.
dswaim
The Mets need to trade Lagares. It was an odd signing by Alderson considering how little he values defense.
mets1536
They thought when they signed him that he would progress, and be a Carlos Gomez type player: when they signed him that was a good deal for them; they didn’t know that he was going to miss time 3 times because he injured his hand diving for balls.
dswaim
Nothing throughout his development should have led them to believe he would be Carlos Gomez
jakec77
Unless they are getting back something fairly useful, they need to hold onto him until Conforto is ready to play (which also gives them another month to evaluate Nimmo). After that, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to hold onto him as 5th OF (but by then, there couls be another injury or Bruce could be playing 1b)
matthew102402
Which team has been bashed the most by MLBTR commenters this offseason?
A. Orioles
B. Mets
C. Cardinals
D. Pirates
E. Rays
F. Marlins
G. Padres
H. Brewers
javier 3
A,C,E,F,
padam
You forgot B. But then again, the Mets do it to themselves.
mikeyank55
I’ve got some work ahead of me. Can you hear metseventually whining?
metseventually 2
A+ comment, especially for creativity.
mikeyank55
Wow. So cute Eventually. Have you started working on your next mlbtr identity?
brucewayne
Marlins for sure!
pjmcnu
Agreed. Speaking for myself, it’s been Marlins, then Mets (of whom I’m a fan).
jdgoat
Marlins. And it’s not close, because it’s totally deserved. The Mets have actually done a good job. I know they’re usually pretty cheap, but they’ve dona quite a bit of spending and should be able to contend for a wild card spot.
E munchy
Hahaha The Orioles deserve all the criticism they get!
terrymesmer
This site does not bash teams, it reports on the prescience/idiocy of teams.
Sometimes, the team is responsible for its own actions, right?
tylerall5
He’s referring to the comments section not the actual reporting.
oaksbossko
Surprised not to see the A’s on your list. They get bashed so much purely for just being the A’s.
Solaris601
If you ask me the O’s haven’t been bashed enough. That starting staff is gonna be a train wreck – I really do hope I’m wrong – but an unbiased, rational analysis indicates that every starter is literally going to have to have a career year in order to be competitive.
rmullig2
If any team was willing to take the entire contract the Mets would give him away.
pjmcnu
Nope, it’s not THAT big a contract. If that were the case, he’d already be gone. Even defense-only CFs at the highest level have this amount of value. Case in point, Byron Buxton. Obviously, he has a MUCH higher upside, but most articles about him note that even if he’s a bust offensively, he’d be valuable (high WAR numbers) based purely on defense.
SupremeZeus
It doesn’t appear that such a trade currently makes much sense. The return for Lagares would likely be meager. It would be prudent to at least wait until Conforto is back healthy and even then you don’t know if he can man CF well (only like 40 game innings). Cespedes wrist issue needs to monitored also. I think you hold onto him for awhile for insurance at the very least. Maybe the Mets need his $6.5M & $9M off the books.
ralph 3
Cespedes wrist issue is mentioned in the article…
pjmcnu
They’re a NY team with a great fan base & their own TV network (SNY). They don’t NEED to shave $6.5M or $9.5M of salary. But they certainly might WANT it gone.
mikeyank55
Correct pjmcnu-they don’t NEED to shave salary.
However the Wilpon’s WANT to shave salary so that they have more $$& to buy Brooklyn Dodgers memorabilia as well as to pass out to family members.
mgrap84
Hey would be great in Baltimore since Adam Jones will be gone. If the Orioles are out by the deadline, Machado and Jones will be moved so why not bring him in to play CF.
Brixton
Because their ownership has an obsession with power bats, and disregard defense
gorav114
Buck cherishes defense. Sometimes the pieces just don’t fit. In 2016 they were a top team, just slipped in 2017 with Hardy out a lot. That will be fixed now with Machado at short and much better defense in right with Rasmus.
Brixton
Buck played Pedro Alvarez and Mark Trumbo in the outfield and refused to move Jones outta center. Plus Seth Smith
Sideline Redwine
“Negative asset”? LOL. Do you mean liability? I love this site, but *wow* is the writing “not good”.
Brixton
‘Negative asset’ is a thing bub
Liability doesnt necessarily refer to finances, which is what is called into question here
Monkey’s Uncle
“Negative asset” and “liability” do not necessarily mean the same thing depending on the context. Also, the writing on this site is generally as good or better than most other sports sites I frequent; additionally, when a commenter does point out a mistake in the writing, the writer usually acknowledges the mistake or explains the rationale for that writing in a professional manner.
Other than that, your criticism is spot on.
bastros88
they need him for when cespedes gets put on the DL
ASapsFables
It appears that Adam Engel will be the primary CF option for the White Sox to begin the 2018 season until Charlie Tilson can regain his hitting stride from being sidelined due to injuries in the past 1-1/2 seasons. Engel offers comparable GG caliber defense to Juan Lagares, is nearly 3 years younger, has more power and is being paid the minimum MLB salary. His 80 grade running speed should also translate into more SB’s if he can figure out a way to reach first base on a more consistent basis.
Engel hasn’t shown an ability to hit MLB pitching consistently yet but Lagares has offensive numbers that have been pedestrian since 2014. The right-handed hitting Engel and lefty batting Tilson should make an for an adequate enough CF platoon at some point in the near future and until Luis Robert assumes the full time role later in 2019 or in 2020. No need for the White Sox to invest in Lagares at this point of their rebuild.
jbigz12
Engel can hit his way out of a Paper bag. If it’s a lottery ticket for lagares it wouldn’t be the worst move for the chisox to explore.
ASapsFables
Lottery ticket? Lagares would be more akin to buying a raffle ticket for a fund raiser. Rick Hahn is too smart to invest in this sort of transaction. If Lagares winds up on the White Sox it would likely be the result of Kenny Williams influence.
southsidejoe14
Exactly
jmaggio76
and we could have gotten him at one point for mccutchen.
hopefully NOW we can get him for Harrison.
that’s still a perfect piece for the Mets.
pjmcnu
Man, as a Mets fan, if Cutch for Lagares was ever on the table & we didn’t do it, I’d be very disappointed. I feel like Cutch gets a bad rap. People look at him and say “he’s not producing like he used to, ditch the salary.” Well, like he used to is MVP caliber. So it’s less than that, sure. But his salary is like $14M! If people weren’t so focused on the past, would they complain about $14M for a player with his current production?
jmaggio76
Google lagares for mccutchen. was killed. and then Nimmo, which now I can understand, was killed too. just as jason kipnis was killed for Paul sewald… a low level reliever for a short stop.
so many good trade options, and we didn’t jump
Joe Orsulak
Really curious as to why the Mets have become so damn bullish on Nimmo considering he’s only produced well for about 30 days at the big league level. Not saying he can’t be a valuable piece but too many people are talking like he’s an all Star all of the sudden.
Maybe the bigger issue I have is the fact that a top 5 (defensive) CF getting paid $6.5M is a problem for a New York team, even if he isn’t playing full time.
MrMet33
Nimmo has an elite too in OBP and his hit tool has been advancing. He’s also showing more power this Spring and is a potential break out candidate for 2018. Lagares has pretty much hit his ceiling and misses time with injury every season. $6.5M for a 5th OF is a lot for any team.
Joe Orsulak
You’ve got to discount spring performance for obvious reasons. Not sure you can say that Lagares has hit his ceiling when he hasn’t had consistent at bats, whether it due to injury or a roster crunch.
pjmcnu
He was a 1st round pick who was considered a “project” from a non-baseball state (so to speak, read: cold). They’ve been super patient, and continue to be so (with giddiness added in, now that he’s actually played well a bit). Fell in love, imo. I’m not sure he’ll ever be more than a 4th OF, but we’ll see.
jbigz12
He only has 250 career abs so i mean 30 good days of solid hitting isn’t real bad. Nimmo is talented. Lagares is talented too. Probably would provide the same value starting if all things were equal.
hojostache
Nimmo has hit at every level. His glove is decent enough to be passable at CF.
Here are his A to AAA ball stats:
AAA: .308/.403/.480/.883 (171 games)
AA .259/.347/.381/.728 (133 games)
A+ .303/.435/.444/.879 (71 games)
MLB: .264/.367/.392/.759 (101 games)…..the most important stat there is his OBP bc the Mets generally suck in that department. He is also pretty decent on the bases, while most of the mets run in cement blocks.
Spring training stats…obviously a smaller sample:
.343/.429/.800/1.229 (12 games)
I’ve been a Nimmo fan since he was in the lower minors, but I’m glad others are jumping on the bandwagon…well..some people are. 😀
Walter T
Move him. They need to clear space for Tebow.
bosoxforlife
Did you notice Tebow’s Golden Sombrero today?
thegreatcerealfamine
That is not the whole story. During the seventh inning stretch he turned water into wine,then in the top of the ninth laid hands on a injured seagull.
mikeyank55
His offensive statistics are abysmal.
Tim strikes out like a homerun hitter, though has little power.
His only redeeming quality is that people will pay to watch a freak show. This is NOT a successful Pro player trying to reincarnate himself in a second sport. This is a wash out Pro player hanging onto a string and a prayer to be able to continue to hang out in locker room life.
Only a desperate for revenue franchise like the Mets will play this fantasy card.
Monkey’s Uncle
To top it off, in the bottom of the ninth, he hit a home run to knock Pittsburgh out of the playoffs.
(I’m a Steeler fan so I’m allowed to poke fun at my own team, according to me.)
bigowe
Still hoping the Giants will jump on a guy like this, to rectify the OF defence problem once and for all. But the contract looks prohibitive, given our position with respect to the luxury tax wall. Can’t think of a match that would smooth over the $$.
Solaris601
You’re exactly right. The team who needs Legares the most is SF, but even his relatively reasonable $6.5M salary can’t be shoehorned into their budget unless they first trade a significant piece. I’d much rather see him in CF than any combination of the ragtag banjo hitters who will share time out there this year.
AsNchill
Probably won’t ever be interested in Lagares again. Fowler has been putting a show out there in center, and the team seems impressed with him as a defender out there. The bat will come back around again once he’s shaken the rust off, and he’s already started barreling the ball hard, the results just aren’t quite there yet.
24TheKid
Seems like a Jerry Dipoto guy.
Monkey’s Uncle
Doesn’t everyone seem like a DiPoto guy at some point? 😉
24TheKid
Well if they are veteran coming off a bad year or a non prospect over achieving in AAA then yes, they are a Dipoto guy.
vicente_fox
I’d Trade Lagares for a bag of balls honestly
Bravesbutt
This to me was an executive from the Mets planting a false narrative to a reporter in the hopes a team will take the bait and engage the Mets in talk. Horrible signing.
mpearl
As a Mets fan, I say down from my heart that even though I do love watching Lagares. I think he is due to get traded. Nimmo is the better choice at center and Lagares has one of the most highly valued gloves in baseball so The Mets wouldn’t just be getting junk for him. Nimmo is just a better overall fit for the Mets center field slot and Lagares won’t be any use.
mikeyank55
Lagares is begging for a get out of jail pass. I hope that he learns how to hit at his next stop and laughs at the Mets publicly.
dwightgoodenspinkynail
I’ve watched Lagares wave at too many just okay breaking pitches from right handers. He’s an easy out. Nimmo is obviously the better bat (not a tough thing to achieve) and the Mets have a guy who can play the role of defensive replacement in Matt den Dekker.
Maybe Lagares will find his stride in a different uni but he’s had his shot in NY.
cygnus2112
Too much money on the backend for what’s essentially a defense specialist especially for both of my Missouri teams…
of9376
Considering the Mets outfield is never healthy, I think they have to keep him. If they trade him away they would be left with some combination of Nimmo and DenDekker / Evans / Tebow. Other than Nimmo , none of these names should ever be in the show .
metsmosloyal23
I know we act like injuries do not happen anymore.
of9376
I actually love the consistency of lagares hitting into double plays every at bat.