The next big NY Mets free agent signing could make this prospect expendable in a trade

The list of New York Mets offseason needs extends beyond one bullet point. The bullpen is still shaky. The rotation could use a big arm. An improved lineup with Juan Soto as a centerpiece has gotten better and yet they’re still missing a thumper in the middle of the lineup.

Soto’s presence as the right fielder, and as some assume the soon-to-be DH more regularly, negates the need for at least one of these kids to develop into a stud hitter. This includes Ryan Clifford whose presence as a right fielder and first baseman does give the Mets a little bit of flexibility when it comes to how they could use him in the future.

What happens when the Mets re-sign Pete Alonso or possibly make another big free agent addition to the lineup? Suddenly, Clifford seems much more expendable in a future trade.

The Mets can make one of their best prospects irrelevant with one big free agent signing

There are things about Clifford to really like. There are other attributes that make him questionable as a future everyday player in the big leagues. We can almost write off what he did in High-A Brooklyn across 63 games in parts of two seasons. A cavernous place for lefties to hit, let’s bypass the poor numbers there and look straight at what he did in 405 plate appearances in Double-A Binghamton.

Clifford slashed .231/.359/.457 with 18 home runs and 58 RBI in those chances. Drawing 63 walks was impressive. The 117 strikeouts, unfortunately, continued a theme of his career. He is both a high walk and strikeout player who swings hard and hits the ball a long way when he does connect. He’s built like a create-a-player option in a video game where you can only use a certain number of points directed at specific qualities. Power was turned up all of the way. Contact was ignored as a result.

The excitement of such a fantastic power hitter coming up through the system shouldn’t be dismissed even with the downfalls. Nonetheless, an ability to hit with enough consistency since joining the Mets is worrisome. He was a more complete hitter with the Houston Astros, batting .337 in 121 Single-A appearances in 2023 and .271 in High-A in 250 trips to the plate. The average fell down to .188 in his 140 plate appearances in Brooklyn. Again, lefties are known to struggle due to the wind coming off the ocean where the ballpark is located.

Re-signing Alonso doesn’t necessarily make Clifford a must-trade. It’s not unfathomable for Soto, Alonso, and Clifford to one day rotate through right field, first base, and the DH spot.

Clifford is a unique prospect who doesn’t have the same kind of athleticism that usually catches most fans’ attention. He isn’t the kind of five-tool potential player who’ll have superstar status immediately. When the Mets do finally pull the trigger on some kind of a major trade, Clifford feels like a piece to include as long as they have some permanence at one of the corner infield spots.