3 first basemen the NY Mets should still pursue, leaving Jorge Polanco as a DH

3) Willson Contreras

The free agency well is pretty dry. Is the idea of trading for Willson Contreras dead? If the St. Louis Cardinals really want to move him, the Mets still remain one of their best options. Neither team should put a dagger through the heart of those rumors. He still is a good fit for the Mets.

An outstanding defensive performance last year in his full-time first base transition made Contreras someone Mets fans never thought they’d want. He can still hit well and while his power isn’t even close to what Alonso can do, he’s a strong right-handed middle of the order bat. The Mets are without one at the moment.

Just a thought but the signing of Polanco did seem to be more of an insurance policy for first base rather than a definitive solution. The team could always look to do something less satisfying like pay Paul Goldschmidt for a year. The numbers don’t suggest this is the right undertaking for them. The possibility of playing Mark Vientos there, too, doesn’t match their plans to become a team better at run prevention. Everywhere we turn, the solution here seems to be a trade for Contreras.

Not yet dead but possibly on hold, Contreras is still a really good idea for the Mets to pursue.