Why the Mets could be on the hunt for a third baseman this winter

Third base isn’t a priority for the New York Mets this winter, but if the right offer comes along, they may have room to make an upgrade.

The New York Mets have two main options at third base for their 2021 season. Depending on how things play out over the winter, those names could change.

This past year, we saw Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis swap positions. McNeil’s struggles on defense at the hot corner prompted the club to make a change. Davis moved to third base while McNeil handled left field duties. Things seemed to work out better with this alignment. The suspension of Robinson Cano adds another element with McNeil possibly moving to his natural position at second base.

What could further mess with this is the possibility of the Mets making a few changes to their roster between now and the start of the 2021 campaign. If they add George Springer or any other center fielder, this means Brandon Nimmo is moving somewhere—either to left field, the bench, or another team.

But what if the Mets don’t upgrade in center field and continue to roll with Nimmo out there? This leaves them with a similar-looking roster. With Nimmo still in center field, the team could potentially trade Davis and suddenly our outlook of what the Mets need changes drastically.

Heading into this winter, the Mets had some major needs to address. Starting pitching, catcher, and center field were priorities and remain so.

However, the Mets can change this based on availability. In what should become an unprecedented offseason where more talent is available than usual, the Mets need to be ready to pounce on the possibility of adding a star third baseman.

In past years, Nolan Arenado earned the affection of Mets fans hungry for a championship. He’s certainly an intriguing option. Already signed to a massive extension, adding him to the Mets via trade could help the Colorado Rockies wave the white flag in full while pushing the team in Flushing forward. It’s a big trade for the Steve Cohen regime to make. More than ever, it’s possible this winter.

The other third baseman often mentioned in rumors is Kris Bryant. Much closer to free agency, the Chicago Cubs star struggled in his 34 games in 2020. Even so, the former MVP has a track-record worthy of a big deal. In his case, with free agency looming, the Mets would need to lock him up to an extension to make the trade worth the price it will cost them.

Least likely of all, what if Miguel Andujar, the young third baseman now behind Gio Urshela on the depth chart, becomes available? Could the New York Yankees make a deal with the new regime on the 7-Line?

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Third base is not a priority for this ball club. However, it’s important they keep their options open and make a move fast if someone makes them an offer they cannot refuse.