3 NY Mets free agents other than Pete Alonso we’re most surprised haven’t signed yet

3) Harrison Bader

Things ended quite poorly for Harrison Bader last year but here’s the catch: there aren’t very many good center fielders available in free agency. This isn’t an era of elite talent at the position. When you get a center fielder who is among the best in the game, you tend to keep them or at least shift them to a corner outfield spot where they don’t have to worry about covering as much ground.

For as poorly as he hit in the final weeks of the season, Bader was one of the more consistent offensive players for the team early on. His numbers with the Mets at the plate last year were close to what he has done for his entire career. You know what you’re going to get. He’ll occasionally pop a home run, steal some bases, and provide you with the steadiest defense there is. Seemingly unlikely to get a $10.5 million deal like he did from the Mets last year—a ridiculous overpay from the onset of the contract—we can only assume the reason he has not inked a deal somewhere is less about the desire to add a really good fourth outfielder and more about the asking price.

Bader would ideally provide a team with a similar role as Iglesias might, sharing duties defensively while getting starts regularly against left-handed pitchers. Bader didn’t actually slot in perfectly as a masher of lefties last year, but the logic behind it remains true. Paired well with a left-handed hitter in center field, Bader might be able to produce better overall totals if he isn’t expected to play the bulk of the games.

Injuries have been a problem for Bader in the past which might be an additional reason he has yet to sign. The Mets used him well last year, easing him into a more regular role and taking it away when he struggled. It kept him healthy. Unfortunately for him, it hasn’t resulted in a new deal just yet.