Free agent Albert Almora Jr. is among the available center fielders on the Mets’ radar. The club has “looked at” him, Andy Martino of SNY reports.
The extent of the Mets’ interest in Almora isn’t clear, but it may not be thrilling news for fans of a team who are still holding out hope for a George Springer signing. Unlike Springer, one of the best hitters in baseball, Almora hasn’t shown much on offense since debuting with the Cubs in 2016. While Almora has posted six Defensive Runs Saved in center, he owns a much less appealing lifetime .271/.309/.398 mark and wRC+ of 85 in 1,316 plate appearances, and was especially subpar during the previous two seasons.
After Almora hit .167/.265/.200 over 34 PA in 2020, the Cubs non-tendered the 26-year-old in lieu of giving him a $1.575MM projected arbitration salary for 2021. In doing so, the Cubs gave up potential control over Almora through 2022, meaning any team that signs him could keep him for at least two years. He’s now part of a free-agent class that doesn’t feature many solutions in center beyond Springer and Jackie Bradley Jr.
As a Met, Almora could vie for the role of fourth outfielder behind Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo and Dominic Smith, but it seems too early to speculate on how the group will look with Springer still on the open market. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that Almora has a connection to the Mets in new general manager Jared Porter, who was part of the Cubs’ front office for the first two seasons of the outfielder’s tenure in Chicago.
What a choice… do I want George Springer…. or Albert Almora????? Decisions, decisions….
Uh… coming from a Cubs fan… they’re not looking at him to start. He’s a 4th or 5th OF, which he will be just fine for
Exactly, a late inning defensive replacement and a start or two a week. Solid potential pickup. Although he has the Pirates written all over him.
Actually, it’s more like do they need Springer? They already have three outfielders who can hit very well.
If money were no issue, sure, you sign Springer. But with Conforto, Lindor, Syndergaard all needing long term contracts, a fourth outfielder like Almora or JBJ might be a better investment.
All true, but JBJ is gonna cost a lot more than Almora
Jbj is going to sign to be a starting CFer somewhere. Now I would be fine with him here, esp if we get the dh, and bring on Almora and marisnick as well. OF complete. Even if u sign Almora and marisnick to 2-3 CHEEEEEEEEEEEAP
2-3 yr deals that are cheap, would be a bad idea even if u let conforto walk for the pick.
I believe Scott Boras is Conforto’s agent. That alone makes me feel like MC will not be with the Mets long term. I expect the dollars and years Boras will ask for Conforto will be insane. If the Mets extend Lindor and Syndergaard, I think it’ll be even less likely, because Boras will ask for the moon for MC.
Problem is that their OF defense is unplayable. That’s why they need Springer.
How will they ever decide? Those 2 are literally neck and neck!!
That is a really, really good idea. I was thinking JBJ, but even he’s gonna go for 10 mil AAV. This is genius. Then they can round out their pen and then maybe another starter. It would be a good move.
He plays a solid centerfield but is statistically one of the worst hitters in the mlb the last 3 years. Far from genius, more of a wasted roster spot.
They are way closer to the lux tax than most might think right now. Not spending on a Springer or a Bauer right now is almost needed at this point. I doubt Cohen wants to go over the lux tax in his first season with the club. I bet he’d rather wait till a Conforto extension to go over on the lux tax. The Mets also haven’t had an everyday defensive CF in a while, and that would really help right now with how bad the defense is already looking. Lastly, this allows them to – like I said – spend at other positions. Most importantly is filling out the pen with somebody like Hand then signing a lower tier starter like Kluber. Trust me, this isn’t a wasted roster spot.
@iml That’s exactly what the Mets need though: defense. They don’t need another bat.
Better options (Kiermaier via trade/JBJ FA).
Then grab Billy Hamilton he can at least pinch run
Definitely better, but Cohen has the dreaded lux tax to consider.
Kiermaier would be way more expensive.
How did that work out remember Juan Lagares? Don’t waste a roster spot on Almora
Juan Lagares wasn’t part of a roster as good as the Mets are now.
This is atrocious with the follow-ups that you have. Springer may not be acquired due to the contract and the speculation that they’re unwilling to go over the luxury tax, but the relief market has gone to hell (other than Hand, which shouldn’t affect Springer). I’ve been on this for several weeks, now. Dom Smith and Familia for Hader and LoCain.
Why would the Brewers trade Hader for that?
I mean, you don’t think someone would offer them more??
Who is “them” the BrewCrew or the Mets? If you think a team could offer the Brewers more than Smith, then you’re wrong. Smith is a top 50 player in the game now. He’s really good, that would be a steal by the Brewers.
Smith is not a top 50 player. You’re drunk. He’s had one good half season. Mets fans are the worst.
The dude’s username is Rangers29 and he literally has a Texas Rangers logo as his avatar. I’m not sure how you get ‘Mets fans are the worst’ out of him saying Dom Smith is top 50.
Rangers29 has always been pro-Mets on these boards. I am guessing that he either roots for both teams or is using this profile to hype up the Mets without being looked on as a homer.
In my limited experience of reading his comments, he seems to root for most teams, though. I’m not sure I’ve seen him (or her) disparage any team.
There is no way the Brewers do that, and there’s no way Dom Smith is top 100 player in the game either. Maybe not even top 150. That is absurd.
Lol, I like the fact that y’all think I put on a Rangers’ facade when I am really a die hard Mets’ fan. But alas, I am just a die hard Rangers’ fan who happens to like the Mets as well.
Looking at Smith’s limited production from the past two seasons leads me to believe that not only is he the 2nd best player on the Mets, but that he is also a low-key top 50 player in the game. He is definatley underrated, for sure, but to trade him for Hader is absurd, imo, from the Mets’ perspective. Smith plays everyday, and Hader is just a closer (albeit one of the best – if not the best – in the game). Hader can be had for a price, and I think the Mets could meet that price, but just not for Smith. Arguing whether or not he’s a top 50 player in the game is valid though.
You don’t know much about baseball if you don’t think smith is in that conversation, and it’s two straight half seasons if you want to be accurate… 131 and 169 ops+… no way I would trade smith for hader, terrible move
I say you add Davis to that deal and maybe a very young arm and im all over it. That would take care of first and third for the Brewers. Then you let Taylor have center with maybe a light platoon with McGinley
I can absolutely see Hader being traded this year. If you add Cains contract you wouldn’t have to give up the house.
Thankfully, Smith isn’t going anywhere.
And Hader isn’t either. Not for that return.
Dom Smith is enough to get Hader if he were available (most likely, neither player is available). His OPS+ was top 20 in the NL in 2019 and his 2020 OPS+ was 6th. Extra year of control. Relievers are more volatile.
Absolutely not enough.
I love Smith, but he’s not enough. Mets wouldn’t make that trade anyway.
He’s more than enough and Mets would be stupid to do it
I’m sure Hader is 100% available. The Brewers have been listening to offers on him over the past couple of offseason and they already have a better reliever than him in Devin WIlliams.
Hader is available because the Brewers are not in a position to compete and most likely, like 3 out of the 5 NL Central teams have shown, are looking to cut payroll.
Having Devin Williams is not a factor in trading an elite reliever… I think it’s funny when people bring up Williams as a reason why the Brewers would trade Hader. Hader making an est. 6-7 million next season and the crew being non-competitive is the reason they would trade him.
I second this.
Only in mlb can one play badly and still expect a rise.
Corporate America likes this.
Don’t be the guy that knows your stuff, meets deadlines, does commendable work. Be the guy that pops in late, has no clue how to do his job or even what it is, never meets deadlines, whose work always needs to be corrected by someone else. This guy has a future.
Day two on the job and the new guy thinks he should be the manager. What a crock.
The Mets “looked at” Almora. Did he look back?
That’s the real question.
youtube.com/watch?v=8BwldNjFUj8
He winked at me!
Don’t wink, kid.
Guarantee you the Blue Jays have as well, but no offer will be made. Only signing they’re gonna make will be Mark Shapiro. Pathetic!
This should not be much of a surprise. I guarantee that the Mets have “looked at” nearly every single center fielder in MLB.
“Team looks at obscure nobody player” articles are always the best.
artfay: Articles re Team X,Y,Z “are looking at…” give people who like to complain the perfect platform to do so.
Why are you even here
Cohen: mad genius, billionaire, made the Mets a legit threat…still refuses to pay luxury tax.
@purplehayes
You could always offer to pay it for him! If he goes to the max this year, he has to cut next year when Cano comes back and raises need to be paid. Lets see what the Mets have first, and what they really need.
@stymee I’m just poking fun at the fact that even big-talk, billionaire owners seem to stop at the tax threshold. It isn’t an insult to Cohen. I think the Mets had a tremendous offseason.
He isn’t stopping bc he is afraid to go over. He would go over if cano contract didn’t exist. He has to time it better so that when cano contract ends they don’t face the really bad consequences. And even then he said he would go over this year if he has too but it’s probably unlikely.
I think he’s being smart. But I also think he should tweet less.
Don’t worry. Mets fans will be paying for the luxury tax when/if Cohen goes over it. Then the average, working class guy will be stuck watching at home like so many other working class guys in so many other markets.
It’s funny to me that people think teams need to be “complete” at the start of the season.
There is literally no harm… very little harm… done letting things play out and then trade to round out your roster. The Mets have a good roster but they really need to add a real Center Fielder since aside from Lindor, they have a lot defensive question marks all around the diamond. Adding a guy like Bradley Jr. and Kolton Wong, IMO, would turn this team in a legitimate contender, then address the bullpen mid-season.
Bullpens are addressed mid season, preseason, alll year around. They’re constantly being tweaked. The Mets currently have a large pool of arms in their pen, but many of them are mediocre and there’s also a few question marks in there. I still wouldn’t mind seeing them sign it guy like Rosenthal, Hand, or Melancon. I’d prioritize that over CF. Go into spring training with a bunch of arms fighting it out for a spot in the pen
The Mets “prioritized” the bullpen in 2019 and how did that work out?
Relievers, IMO as a jaded Cub fan, are too fickle for me to invest heavily in. But even still, I would disregard spending top dollar on Hand or Rosenthal and give less money to Archie Bradley and have enough to improve my defense.
The Mets were negative 22 DRS last season… defense should be a priority. They got Lindor, and that is great but they dealt their best defender to get him. Nimmo is a BAD defender in CF… correction, he is an awful defender in CF. You cannot live with a guy who had a -5 DRS in only 308 innings. That equates to a -24 DRS in a 162 game season.
Right, acquiring a legit CFr and pushing Nimmo to LF is an absolute must
They can probably pick him up on a Minor League Deal as Insurance ….
Why Not?
He’s a good fit for the red Sox if he’s willing to sign a one year deal. Despite their narrative on re-signing JBJ, I doubt they are willing to pony up the cash for a 2 or 3 year term. Frankly, I don’t think he wants to come back. Marisnick will probably be on their radar.
Doesn’t mean a lot. Alderson yesterday on a podcast indicated that he was looking for a couple of outfielders. Feels they don’t have enough options/depth on the roster.
This doesn’t need to be considered bad. Maybe even get him on just a minor league deal. He’s not an everyday starter but a fourth of fifth outfielder is perfectly fine. If he hits manages to hit close to league average it’s a right handed bat of the bench which the Mets could need.
Dumpster diving Cohen!
Should I laugh now or wait till it’s get funny?
Springer will be the Mets starting CF.
I don’t think so. I think they’re done with the huge moves, but we’ll see.
Replace think with hoping lol. People are scared of Cohen around the league.
I’m not scared. I think the Mets made some great moves. I think they’ll be a great team for the next 5 years at least. But I couldn’t care less about what they do. I focused on my team’s moves or lack thereof.
@Dan Hunter
So Springer will be the Mets starting CF?
What happened to when you said that Starling Marte was being traded by the Pirates to the Mets? Did you give up on that? The Marlins can still trade Marte to the Pirates so they can trade him to the Mets.
I don’t know if I love your predictions more or @MetsFan22’s prediction more. Tough call.
I never said marte would be a Met lol. Stop making things up. The Mets don’t even need springer. He would be nice but I doubt we get him now that we got Lindor.. (a better player.)
Almora should sign the first (only) major-league contract he’s offered. I could see him being forced into a minor-league contract with a spring training invitation.
Almora is signing with the Orioles. Just watch
I think Alomara would be a good pick up. Maddon ruined a lot of these young guys in Chicago. Give him regular time and in a yr or two he will be close to LoCain
He was pretty much an everyday player in 2018 and was atrocious. Got tons of Ab in 2019 and was worse and in limited action 2020 he was abysmal. Not sure how Maddon ruined him.
Almora was doing okay until his foul ball hit that fan. Was absolutely horrible with the bat after that.
I Felt really bad for him. That was a horrible situation.
I was just thinking yesterday that Almora would fit well with Mets. Worth a shot, even if they get Springer. He could still develop some offense and he plays plus OF.
“Mets looked at Almora…” Good , but just keep looking thot…
I’ve looked at him as well, on the TV
For those who are staying awake at night worrying about going over the Luxury Tax, are you even sure there’s going to BE a Luxury Tax with a new CBA in 2021???? If you ARE sure, please call Manfred and Tony Clarke….they’re DYING to know.
FWIW (admittedly not much), I think Sandy & Co. are looking at Springer/JBJ/trade for KK (Rays eating money) in that order. Almora’s a 5th OF, but you really only have room for 4.
I’d be shocked if the owners agree to give up the CBT. They all want a hard cap but the players union won’t agree to that so they’ll do all they can to keep the CBT program in place.
5th outfielder, AAA depth. Very similar to Juan Lagares, but younger.
I am all for depth in positions but the Mets have so many big bat options for the outfield; Smith, Nimmo, Conforto, Davis, McNeil. Yet other than McNeil, all pretty poor defensively. Dom is possibly a top 50 player if he continues what he’s doing but without a DH in the NL, he’s either got to split time with Alsono at 1B, which he should be at anyways, or get his reps in LF. Which clogs up adding something like a Springer to the order.
They already added a HUGE offensively increase going from Rosario to Lindor, which is saying a lot as they led the league last year in OPS+.
Defense has always been an issue for the Mets. They ranked at the bottom of the league in Rdrs, Rtot and Rtot/yr.
Frankly with such a cluster of good bats for the outfield, they very well can possibly trade for a player instead. Which doesn’t have to be a CF but a pitcher of sorts and sign a defensive guy with some sort of offensive capabilities (so no, sorry Billy Hamilton, but anyone better at hitting that a pitcher would be nice).
You Mets fans are funny. Dom Smith had one good half season and now he’s a top 50 player? You guys make baseball fans laugh.
Not a Mets fan but let’s take a look at some stuff information as I see you probably made this comment off of a very poor look into the stats or are a Philly/Yankee type fan.
Smith blew up AA/AAA while being a top 100 prospect.
Between his 2019/2020 years combined: 139 games with a .299/.366/.571 OPS+ at 150.
Not a defensive player by any means but can play corner OF and 1B.
He’s only 25 years old.
Btw before you criticize comments be sure to understand nuances. Such as me saying “possibly a top 50 player” versus “IS a top 50 player”.
Don’t be clowning on a fanbase, that I’m not even apart of for that matter, if you are going to only provide such a baseless and lame comment as that.
Clap if you love dynamo
Nice response regarding Dom Smith. I would also add that Smith was a 1st Round Pick 11th overall in the 2013 draft. So he clearly had been scouted and he was well thought of.
In addition, it was just yesterday that Sandy Alderson indicated that Dom Smith is “going nowhere” when someone mentioned he might be moved. So baseball fans may be laughing but the people who should know a good ball player when they see one are not.
still waiting for your reply
Almora would be a nice pickup for the Mets. Excellent D and a plus runner on the basebaths. Not a burner, but won’t make bonehead decisions. He’s just not a very good hitter, nothing wrong with him as a 4th OF.
Absolutely. Finally logic.
Mets should sign Almora and Brantley and then flip D Smith or Nimmo for some bullpen help, if they miss out on Springer. Now if they get Springer, doesn’t really matter who they trade out of Nimmo, Conforto, Smith, if any of them.
Signing Almora and Brantley, then trading away Nimmo or Dom Smith for ‘bullpen help’ makes them a worse team, unless they get an amazing haul for either of them.
Adding Bradley would actually improve the Mets. The Mets are a poor defensive team and having Nimmo playing out of position doesn’t help them. He’s a good player, but he doesn’t help the team.
I would highly advise not signing Almora for anything other than a minor league deal. He is a talented enough player that it’s worth a risk but not worth a roster spot.
I would sign Bradley and Wong, giving them gold glove caliber defenders up the middle and call it an off-season. Maybe sign a decent but not ace reliever and worry about the making rounding out the roster mid-season via trade.
You don’t trade players of the caliber of Nimmo or Smith for “bullpen” help. You just don’t. That’s ridiculously underselling on big assets.
Somewhere there is a right handed hitting CF who fits somewhere between Springer and Almora.
Ramon Laureano? Starling Marte? Kevin Pillar?
Almora is Juan Lagares without the Gold Glove. If the Mets are going to skip Springer then go for JBJ or Pillar. If none of them than roll the dice on Nimmo or give Mallex Smith a chance since he’s already in camp (at least they’ll have they’re first real stolen base threat since young Jose Reyes)
Pillar cannot defend CF anymore. If you’re going to add a guy with a -DRS and a -dWAR then keep Nimmo in CF.
Translation – Springer, if you’re interested, time to get realistic.
Are people really sayin a high 800 to low 900 ops bat with cheap control isn’t good enough for a elite RP? lol as a Mets fan I’d be pissed if hader started with smith.
The Mets remind me of Baltimore when it comes to signing free agents
They should just sign Pillar and Bradley Jr. and platoon the two. Gives them improved defense in CF and is cheaper than Springer.
Would ya just look at em
Springer is going to be this year’s JD Martinez. He’s out there looking for a huge deal of $150M+ but he has priced himself out of the market. It sure seems like he’s destined to sign with Toronto on a 5/$115M or 5/$120M deal. The Mets are clearly out on him after Lindor, so who is left besides Toronto? I guess he could go back to Houston but I don’t think they have the cap space to pay him.
Toronto could front load the contract and offer him opt outs after Year 2, Year 3 & Year 4 to get the deal done.
mets WILL FINISH 4TH.