Mets: Best non-tendered hitters to better the Mets’ World Series odds

Even with the non-tender deadline being a little lackluster there are still some hitters that are quite interesting for the New York Mets franchise.

Leading up to the non-tender deadline there were a lot of rumors that big-name hitters could be non-tendered due to significant losses amassed by teams due to the pandemic and not having fans during the 2020 season. The New York Mets didn’t experience this thanks to their shiny new owner, Steve Cohen.

This ended up being quite anti-climactic. Players like Kris Bryant, Gary Sanchez, and Tommy Pham were tendered contracts and the players that were not tendered a contract for 2021 were not all that spectacular compared to the expectations.

However, there were some players that potentially could help the Mets better their World Series odds and help the Mets be a better team overall.

The group of players non-tendered and added to free agency was 56 and the biggest names and best fits for the Mets are mainly pitchers but there are some hitters that are intriguing if you are Sandy Alderson and company.

One may say why would the Mets go bargain hunting in the non-tender pool, that is a Wilpon move. Well just because Steve Cohen has $14 billion doesn’t mean that he is too good for a bargain and there is also a big difference between a value bargain and a bargain.

I believe that the Mets will try to find a value bargain in the newly added hitters in free agency to try and improve the depth of the team instead of finding a cheap option to fill a big hole like the Mets have done in the past.

In the end, it is the big names that fill the seats and the little names that make you a winner.

There are three hitters among the ones non-tendered that can help the Mets in one way or another.

Outfield depth is the Mets biggest need and David Dahl is the answer

As the Mets 40-man roster currently stands there are three natural outfielders. Three. That is a legitimate problem that Sandy Alderson needs to fix.

Some fans are going to say that the Mets have Jeff McNeil, Dom Smith, and J.D Davis who could play the corner outfield positions. However, they are not natural outfielders and by playing them there the Mets would be sacrificing some level of defense.

So how could the Mets resolve this issue?

I think we can all agree that signing a George Springer or Jackie Bradley Jr. would be a step in the right direction but that doesn’t directly fix the problem.

Here is why. The three natural outfielders on the Mets 40-man roster are Michael Conforto, starting right fielder, Brandon Nimmo, starting left fielder, and Guillermo Heredia, depth outfielder. So the signing of a Springer or JBJ would fix the issue of the Mets currently having no starting center fielder but it would not fix their depth problem.

One injury and the Mets could be in a very bad situation so that is where David Dahl comes in.

Dahl, an outfielder that can play all three outfield positions, was non-tendered by the Colorado Rockies. Dahl has battled several injuries throughout his career including a torn hamstring and lacerated spleen but was an all-star in 2019 in which he hit .302/.353/.524/.877 with 48 extra-base hits and 61 RBIs.

Another layer to this is that back in 2012 the Mets and Sandy Alderson were big fans of Dahl’s during the MLB draft but was taken two spots before the Mets selection so there could be an affinity with Dahl to try and get him back to the player he was when he was coming out of high school.

Dahl may not be the perfect fit due to his injury history, but he has had three seasons over 110 OPS+. When healthy Dahl has been a good offensive outfielder and can be a solid fourth outfielder depth option for the Mets that has some upside.

The Mets system is baren and Jeison Guzman is a much-needed addition

Who is Jeison Guzman? Guzman is a shortstop that was a former top 30 prospect for the Kansas City Royals and was non-tendered by the Royals at the tender deadline.

Guzman was added to the 40-man roster in the winter of 2019 to protect him from the Rule 5 draft but when it came time to shed some players from the roster Guzman was unfortunately on the chopping block.

This is good for the Mets because Guzman is still very young at 22 years old and can replenish the farm system which has been depleted over the last few years.

Guzman in four minor league seasons has hit a slightly pedestrian .245/.306/.345/.651 with 78 extra-base hits and 111 RBIs. However, Guzman is not known for his offensive abilities, he is more of a glove-first shortstop. I personally see him as a Luis Guillorme type player with slightly lesser defensive talent, but the Mets need to better their minor league depth and Guzman would be a good fit to add to the Mets depleted system.

Since Guzman is not a top prospect and is more of a depth prospect he would not take playing time away from the Mets top infield prospects like Ronny Mauricio, Brett Baty, and Mark Vientos but he would allow the Mets to push those three players more aggressively since they have other players to fill their spot upon a promotion.

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The Mets should be able to sign Guzman to a minor league deal considering he has not played above A ball. He could add infield depth to the minor leagues and add another prospect to the Mets system that is slowly on the rise with the emergence of the teenagers and recent draft picks.