Best Mets player acquired via free agent at each position

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Right-handed pitcher Rick Reed of the New York Mets pitches to the San Francisco Giants during the National League Division Series 07 October, 2000, at Shea Stadium in New York. AFP PHOTO Heather HALL (Photo by HEATHER HALL / AFP) (Photo by HEATHER HALL/AFP via Getty Images) /

Free agency is one place where the New York Mets have found some of its greatest players. These ten men are the best at their position.

Many of the greatest New York Mets players in franchise history came to the organization via the amateur draft. Whenever I look over the franchise records, I’m always amazed at how many of the best in team history were draft picks.

Not everyone was originally a Met, however. In some cases, the club went out and acquired players via trade. Or as we’ll examine here, free agency.

Free agency is still relatively young in terms of baseball history. Beginning in the late 1970s, it gave teams a chance to add players through yet another route.

The adoption of free agency also gave players an opportunity to pick where they wanted to play. Since this became a common practice, these are the best Mets at each position to arrive in Flushing via free agency.

Starting Pitcher – Rick Reed

In Mets history, I don’t think any free agency pitcher was as good as Rick Reed. It’s pretty remarkable, too. Considering they also signed Hall of Famers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez as free agents, it’s Reed who seemed to have the most positive impact.

When the Mets signed Reed as a free agent in 1995, I don’t think anyone expected him to become a rotation mainstay through the latter part of the decade and into the new century. By the time the 1997 season rolled around, Reed was already pitching in his age 32 season.

Wasting no time, Reed went 13-9 with a 2.89 ERA in his first year with the Mets. He continued pitch well throughout their winning stretch in the late 1990s and early 200s, eventually ending his time with the club with a 59-36 record and 3.66 ERA.

Relief Pitcher – Billy Wagner

There’s no question who the best relief pitcher the Mets landed via free agency is. Hard-throwing lefty Billy Wagner came to the team as a free agent in his mid-30s. Although injuries did get the best of him at times, when healthy, Wagner was excellent.

In two of the three seasons he actually did pitch regularly, Wagner was an All-Star. The other year was still impressive, ending with a 2.24 ERA and a sixth-place finish in the Cy Young voting.

As good as advertised, Wagner helped piece together the bullpen during a competitive era of Mets baseball. In three years pitching for the club, he saved 101 games to the tune of a 2.37 ERA.

Catcher – Wilson Ramos

Free agency hasn’t been the place where the Mets have found their best catchers. Looking at the top names in franchise history, everyone arrived in New York through the draft or a trade.

Wilson Ramos is different. He actually signed with the Mets. With very little competition, he’s an easy selection.

The only current Mets player you’ll find on this list, Ramos hit .288/.351/.416 for the club in 2019. Add in 14 home runs and 73 RBI, he had one very productive season at the plate.

4 Oct 2000: Todd Zeile #9 of the New York Mets leads off the base during the NLDS Game against the San Francisco Giants at Pac Bell Park in San Francisco, California. The Giants defeated the Mets 5-1.Mandatory Credit: Tom Hauck /Allsport /

First Baseman – Todd Zeile

The toughest selection for this list was at first base. Todd Zeile ultimately got the nod over Eddie Murray because of what he meant to the franchise and how the team performed. While Murray had superior numbers in some categories, Zeile was a much more important member of the franchise.

Zeile came to the Mets for the 2000 season as the replacement for John Olerud. They were big cleats to fill and he did so admirably.

In three total seasons with the club, Zeile was a .259/.348/.405 hitter with 41 home runs. His best season was in 2000 when he added 22 home runs during the team’s regular-season run ultimately landing them in the playoffs and then World Series.

Second Baseman – Jose Valentin

The Mets and second basemen from the outside don’t go together well. Roberto Alomar and Carlos Baerga are the subjects of two of the worst trades in franchise history. However, there is one second baseman who the team landed via free agency that managed to have one pretty good year with the club.

Veteran infielder Jose Valentin spent his last two big league seasons with the Mets in 2006 and 2007. It’s that first year he made an impression.

As the team’s starting second baseman and regular utility man, Valentin hit .271 while adding 18 home runs. Although he faded out in 2007, this one campaign was productive enough to beat out all other free agent second basemen in club history.

Third Baseman – Robin Ventura

One of the top third basemen in Mets history, Robin Ventura came to the organization as a free agent ahead of the 1999 campaign. In his three seasons in Flushing, Ventura made a lasting impression in the seasons before David Wright.

Ventura won a Gold Glove in 1999 and finished sixth in the MVP voting. This was his best season with the club, but his overall totals over the three years in orange and blue added up well.

Ventura slashed .260/.360/.468 with 77 home runs. As the Mets attempted to build up a championship-level roster, this third baseman looked like one of the finishing touches.

Shortstop – Asdrubal Cabrera

Asdrubal Cabrera wasn’t always a shortstop in New York. But when he first signed with the Mets, this was his spot on the field.

Cabrera is one of those Mets shortstops I think people will appreciate more several years from now. His offensive numbers are right up there with just about anyone else to play the position while representing this ball club.

In 2016, while playing shortstop exclusively, he hit 23 home runs with a .280 batting average. The home runs set a new franchise record for the position. He continued to hit well into mid-2018 before he was eventually traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.

WASHINGTON – MAY 1: Cliff Floyd of the New York Mets takes a swing in a game against the Washington Nationals on May 1, 2005 at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. The Mets defeated the Nationals 6-3. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

Left Fielder – Cliff Floyd

I gave Yoenis Cespedes a little consideration for left field on this spot. However, because his best year came after getting traded, I felt the need to go in a different direction. Fortunately, there’s Cliff Floyd to fill the void.

Floyd spent four seasons with the Mets from 2003-2006. With a .268/.354/.478 batting line, he added 81 home runs.

The best we saw of Floyd included a .290 average in 2003 and 34 home runs in 2005. Definitely an important member of the franchise’s history, the only thing working against Floyd is the fact that the team didn’t win much at all during his time in New York.

Center Fielder – Carlos Beltran

Carlos Beltran’s legacy may not be the same as it used to be. Still, there’s no debate. Beltran is the best free agent center fielder the team has ever had.

Beltran is an all-time great Mets player for everything he did on the field. From 2005 until mid-2011, he was an All-Star five times. Beltran also added three Gold Glove seasons and in 2006, tied Todd Hundley for the franchise’s home run record.

In parts of seven seasons, Beltran finished with 149 Mets home runs and a batting line of .280/.369/.500. Put those numbers up against any other free agent in Mets history and you’ll have a tough time finding anyone who comes close.

Right Fielder – Curtis Granderson

Finally, we finish with Curtis Granderson. One of the more beloved Mets free agents in recent history, he played all over the outfield. On this team, he slots in as the right fielder.

Granderson’s four and a half seasons with the Mets included 95 home runs and 484 hits. His 2015 season stood out for more than numbers. When the team needed him to take over the leadoff role, he filled in admirably.

When Granderson was signed as a free agent, I don’t think anyone expected him to become such an important leader for the ball club. His numbers, while lacking in some areas like batting average, barely do justice for what he was capable of. Granderson was a winning player, as subjective of a description as that is.

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