1 reason to appreciate the latest NY Mets free agent signing, 1 to grieve the deal

Love is too strong of a word to describe the latest New York Mets roster addition. They signed free agent Nick Madrigal to a one-year split contract worth $1.35 million for the time spent at the major league level. A small deal on a day where we continue to await the finale of the Pete Alonso saga, is one element of this addition to appreciate and one reason to grieve it.

Appreciate the signing of Nick Madrigal because it adds some competition on the depth chart

Madrigal is an example of what could happen to some other Mets prospects if they don’t get their act together. The fourth overall selection in the 2018 MLB Draft, he failed to translate several seasons of hitting over .300 into much big league success. While he did manage to hit .317 in 324 plate appearances spread across two seasons with the Chicago White Sox, his tour with the Chicago Cubs was less impressive. He hit only .251 at the MLB level.

Severely lacking in the power department, Madrigal is a high-contact hitter who’ll at least put the ball in play. Because he does have minor league options, he immediately improves the team’s depth chart that was severely lacking with infielders. Luis De Los Santos was DFA’d to make room for Madrigal. It’s an immediate upgrade and Madrigal should at least be able to push those still considered high-ranking prospects to perform better.

The lack of power won’t have too many of us urging the Mets to start him on the Opening Day roster over a player we’re more familiar with such as Brett Baty. Considering the Mets did employ Joey Wendle and Zack Short on last year’s club to open the season, it’s not far fetched for him to sneak his way in with a big spring. He’s a lifetime .355 hitter in 250 plate appearances at Triple-A. Although the sample is somewhat minimal, he’s clearly in the Four-A level of hitters.

We can appreciate the signing for the safety net he can provide. It’s not all roses, though.

Grieve the Mets signing Nick Madrigal because it feels like the Jose Iglesias replacement we didn’t want

Can Madrigal and Jose Iglesias exist together on the same 40-man roster? It’s not impossible. It makes more sense if a player such as Luisangel Acuna is traded. Madrigal has many of the same qualities as Iglesias with his high-contact rate and ability to hit for average. How good of a musician he is has yet to be determined.

Iglesias remains unsigned and a match for what the Mets bench could use. The nature of Madrigal’s deal, with it being a split contract, does offer an opening to get a deal done with Iglesias. Realistically, it feels like a reach.

Pitchers and catchers report in less than two weeks and we’re still talking potential big-time Mets trades and a strong likelihood of Alonso coming back. I wouldn’t put it past Stearns to sign Iglesias having already brought back Sean Manaea, Jesse Winker, and Ryne Stanek. It just feels like Madrigal is here to be the more experienced and cheaper version with minor league options.