Mets land veteran outfielder in trade with Rays in exchange for a pitcher

Mets make a big defensive upgrade in center field in trade with Rays.

Sep 5, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jose Siri (22) reacts after fouling off a ball against the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Sep 5, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jose Siri (22) reacts after fouling off a ball against the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have made their first trade of the off-season, acquiring center fielder Jose Siri from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for right-handed reliever Eric Orze. MLB.com beatwriter, Anthony DiComo, first announced the swap on Twitter:

The Mets needed to fill center field as Harrison Bader hit free agency, and Siri can help fill that hole. Siri had a down year with the bat, slashing just .178/.266/.366 with a .271 wOBA, and 78 wRC+ across 448 plate appearances. Power has always been his strong suit, and he blasted 18 home runs with a .179 isolated slugging percentage, and impressive 14.6% barrel rate. But Siri’s strikeout rate approached 40% at 37.8%, while his walk rate was a below average 6.9% mark.

Mets acquire Jose Siri to help with center field depth.

Siri’s season was not good, but he is only one year removed from putting up a .761 OPS, .319 wOBA, and 106 wRC+ with the Rays in 2023. Plus, the main attraction is Siri’s defense. This year, he had a dozen defensive runs saved and +15 outs above average. This marks the third season in a row Siri has racked up double-digit OAA. Siri was tied with Kevin Kiermaier in ground covered in his jump, and his 93.5 MPH average arm strength was among the 97th percentile of fielders. 

Siri is entering his age-29 campaign next year, and hopefully he can see a rebound with the bat. Eric Orze is the player heading to Tampa Bay in this one-for-one swap. Orze was a fifth round pick by the Mets in 2020. The reliever made his debut last season, pitching 1.2 innings in two games, allowing four earned runs on four hits, including a home run. His debut wasn't great, but Orze did pitch well at Triple-A Syracuse, working to a 2.92 ERA, 4.14 FIP, and 1.20 WHIP across 61.2 innings pitched.

Orze had some decent peripherals at Syracuse. He struck out nearly a third of opponents with a 32.7% K% with an above average 1.17 HR/9. However, he struggled to limit free passes with a 12.7% BB%. Orze sits 94 MPH with his four-seam fastball while also tossing both a mid-80s change-up and slider. Orze will be in his age-27 season in 2025.

Siri will head into Spring Training as one of the Mets’ center field options, alongside Tyrone Taylor. The defensively gifted center fielder is under control through 2027 via arbitration and is projected to earn $2.3 million based on MLB Trade Rumors’ estimation. Hopefully, the Mets can help him find his groove again, as he could be a very valuable player, even if he is only a league average hitter.

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