MLB insider may be overlooking the NY Mets in one free agent market

When the New York Mets' signing of Jorge Polanco was announced, David Stearns had a clear message about how his versatile new weapon would be utilized.

"We are excited to add Jorge to our organization and expect him to be a big part of our team over the next two years. Jorge’s athleticism and versatility on both sides of the ball make him a perfect fit as we continue to build out our team. As we stand now, we would anticipate Jorge playing first base, DH, and bouncing around to other positions as needed,” Stearns explained.

To us, that makes Polanco sound like something of a Swiss army knife. The 32-year-old began his career as a shortstop, though he was never known for his defense and quickly moved to second base. Since then, he's gotten the occasional third base reps, made a cameo at first base, and last season primarily served as a DH.

Polanco, especially as a first baseman, doesn't fit with the club's vision of tightening up the defense. That leads us to believe he'll be spending most of his days at DH, where, as a switch-hitter, he alleviates the need to have a right-handed-left-handed rotation, and then can perform spot duty at other positions as needed.

That's why it's curious that MLB insider Jim Bowden had the Mets completely absent from his list of potential fits for the top remaining free-agent first basemen.

Jim Bowden's conviction that Jorge Polanco will be the Mets' everyday first baseman is likely wrong

While Pete Alonso is gone, there are plenty of intriguing first base candidates left. Stearns stressed Polanco's versatility as a selling point, and locking him into first base simply eliminates the Mets from a plethora of intriguing options.

Japanese stars Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto both bring intriguing skillsets to the table. Munetaka, whose posting window closes at 5 p.m. ET on December 22, comes with immense power, youth, and upside, even if the strikeouts are a concern. Okamoto brings power as well, but better contact and on-base skills, a low K-rate, and better defense at both infield corners, as well as left field.

One could theoretically see Eugenio Suarez shift across the diamond to first base as he enters his mid-30s to give himself a defensive reset, and if replacing Pete Alonso's power is a Mets' priority, there is no better option.

An out-of-the-box possibility is signing Cody Bellinger to play first base. Bellinger, of course, could slide to the outfield on days when Polanco plays first base, giving the Mets yet another versatile chess piece at their disposal.

If the Mets like Bellinger's skillset but want a cheaper version, Ryan O'Hearn could fit that bill, and he's more of a regular first baseman and a part-time outfielder than Bellinger is anyway.

It is clear that the Mets could benefit from a number of these guys' skillsets, and in that regard, it's foolish to dismiss them as potential suitors for the remaining first base options simply because they have Jorge Polanco, who was listed as a first baseman for just one game in his entire career.