3 NY Mets offseason targets who no longer make sense after trade with the Brewers

1 of 3

While waiting for Yoshinobu Yamamoto to make his long-awaited decisions, David Stearns finally made a move, acquiring Adrian Houser and Tyrone Taylor in a deal with his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers.

This trade is far from the splash New York Mets fans have been waiting for, but it still fills a pair of holes on this roster. Houser can slot in at the back end of the rotation or can be used as a long reliever. He feels like a perfect candidate to fill the role Trevor Williams filled so flawlessly back in 2022. Taylor is a fourth outfielder who can play all three outfield positions and has three years of control.

Acquiring these two players doesn't take the Mets out of the Yamamoto sweepstakes. It also doesn't take them out of the DH sweepstakes. What it does do is eliminate the Mets as a possible landing spot for these three free agents.

1) Michael A. Taylor

Michael A. Taylor is a player the Mets were rumored to be speaking with at various points this offseason, and it's not hard to see why. He would've made a ton of sense as a fourth outfielder. He's a Gold Glove-caliber defender who just had one of his best years offensively.

Had the Mets signed Taylor, he likely would've filled the fourth outfielder role that Tyrone Taylor was brought in to play, but at a much higher salary. Michael A. Taylor also would not come with the same three years of control that Tyrone has.

Michael A. and Tyrone happen to have more in common than their last name. They're both known for their defense and speed but have sneaky power. Michael A. set a career-high, hitting 21 home runs this past season for Minnesota while Tyrone hit 17 in 2022 as an everyday player. He hit 10 this past season in a part-time role.

Now, the Mets need to focus their attention on bringing in a full-time outfielder, probably a left fielder, to round out the outfield. Michael A. Taylor is not that.

2) Kevin Kiermaier

With Michael A. Taylor presumably ruled out as a Mets option, Kevin Kiermaier can also safely be taken out of any Mets rumors. He hasn't been connected to the Mets nearly as much as Michael A. Taylor has, but he would've filled the same role Tyrone Taylor is expected to fill.

Kiermaier has been an everyday player for much of his career, and this past season with the Blue Jays was no excpetion as he appeared in 129 games for Toronto. Kiermaier wound up having one of his better offensive seasons as well, and even took home his fourth Gold Glove award.

Whether he would've signed on to fill the fourth outfielder role for the Mets remains to be seen, as there's a good chance he'd get an offer to be a starter elsewhere. However, before the Mets got their hands on Tyrone Taylor, Kiermaier made a lot of sense in theory.

Kiermaier doesn't have the track record of being a good enough hitter for the Mets to bring aboard to round out their outfield. Defense is great, but offense is what the Mets need primarily out of their third starting outfielder.

3) Sean Manaea

The role Adrian Houser will play on this Mets team remains to be seen. He has experience both starting games and coming out of the bullpen, making him an ideal swingman candidate. Another free agent who both started games and came out of the bullpen this past season is Sean Manaea, who now doesn't make much sense as a potential Mets target.

Manaea started 10 of the 37 games he appeared in for the Giants this past season, posting a 4.44 ERA in 117.2 innings pitched. He had been a decent mid-rotation starter throughout his Athletics career, but struggled last season in San Diego and wasn't great for a good portion of this season with San Francisco, although he did finish strong with a 3.43 ERA in the second half.

The Mets need as much pitching depth as possible, and that's what Houser provides. He's set to make around $5 million according to Spotrac, and only has one year of team control. Manaea on the other hand, is predicted to earn a two-year deal worth $22 million by MLB Trade Rumors. There's no way of knowing what his contract will be when he signs it, but it will almost certainly be more expensive than Houser's deal.

After the Houser addition, the Mets need to focus on upgrading the top of the rotation. They've got enough back end types of starters. Adding Yamamoto is the dream, but there are several alternatives David Stearns can turn to as well. Manaea no longer makes any sense.

manual

Home / Mets Rumors

3 Mets offseason targets who no longer make sense after trade with the Brewers

1) Michael A. Taylor

2) Kevin Kiermaier

3) Sean Manaea

Schedule