Mets: Should they pursue Dee Gordon?

With the offseason officially underway for several days now, the hot stove begins.

The Mets must make a splash in the free agent market, or trade for an everyday starter, such as Dee Gordon.

It’s true that the Mets already made some key moves; they picked up the team options for Asdrubal Cabrera and Jerry Blevins. However, there are still have gaping holes to fix.

The Miami Marlins are going into a full-out rebuilding mode, and reports are surfacing that multiple star players, including Dee Gordon, will be on the trade block this offseason. Either the Marlins are seeking to trade him as a salary dump or they might ask for highly touted prospects in return. If this is the case, then the Mets should certainly go after Gordon.

The speedy second baseman hit .308 this past season with just 2 home runs and 33 RBIs. Obviously, the power isn’t there for Gordon, but what he does bring to the lineup is a leadoff hitter who can consistently get on base, and is a major threat to steal. Gordon led the league last season with 60 stolen bases.

Gordon would be the perfect fit for the Mets leadoff man. The Mets have lacked a true leadoff hitter since the days Jose Reyes was in his prime. One may argue that that will be Amed Rosario‘s role in 2018. Though from watching him play this past season, he still needs to work on his aggressiveness on the base paths. But just imagine the combination if Gordon and Rosario are the first two hitters in the lineup.  Rosario isn’t yet ready to claim the everyday leadoff role based on the sample size from the last few months. In addition, the Mets already have power hitters in the middle of the lineup, with Michael Conforto and Yoenis Cespedes. They’re going to need someone like Gordon who can balance power and contact.

The asking price would be the issue for the Mets. There is no chance that they trade either Rosario or Dominic Smith in return for Gordon. If the Marlins are looking for a highly regarded prospect, the Mets could always part with Gavin Cecchini. Yes, he has a lot of potential in the future. Unfortunately, he has yet to contribute much to the Mets offense in his young career. The Mets are in win-now mode and can afford to give up a player in Cecchini for Gordon, who is still under team control through 2021.

Next: Mets pick up left-hander Jerry Blevins’ contract option for 2018

Sandy Alderson, in order to contend you will have to make at least one big move this offseason. So why not go after Dee Gordon?