NY Mets Monday Morning GM: 5 free agents who make more sense after last week’s trade

2) Framber Valdez

Improved defense at second base might have just been the start of the team’s approach. There’s first base and maybe even third base to upgrade defensively. Likely, it’s one or the other. This team has way too many infielders already to overhaul themselves at both corner infield spots.

Regardless of what they do, having Semien and Francisco Lindor up the middle makes signing Framber Valdez a little more acceptable. He’s a better strikeout pitcher than Rogers (so are you on Thanksgiving evening after a few too many to drink). Hesitancy to make him the next Mets ace comes down to several factors. Statistically and logically, there are reasons to pause.

First questions have to do with why him? The Mets haven’t handed out any major contracts to free agent starting pitchers under David Stearns. What makes him so special? A proven innings eater who’ll keep the ball on the ground, he’s the kind of free agent you accept won’t be perfect and pray has one of his better years more often than not. He is a bit older for a free agent at 32. Contract demands and the two draft pick losses sting before we even get to specific numbers and trends.

An insane 61.5% ground ball rate and a still slightly above-average strikeout percentage for the years he has been in MLB, a lot of the hesitation on Valdez comes down to roster building. A five or six-year contract feels like it’ll get messy quickly. It might be a rare sacrifice for a Mets-led team that has, so far, not been willing to do things like this.