3 outfielders the Mets should have signed instead of Harrison Bader

3) Tommy Pham

The Mets had a horrific year in 2023, but Tommy Pham was a pleasant surprise. He was signed on to be the team's fourth outfielder and platoon partner at the DH spot against lefties, but forced his way into the lineup regularly in left field as he was one of the only players actually producing.

In his 79 games played as a Met, Pham slashed .268/.348/.472 with 10 home runs and 38 RBI. He made himself a valuable trade deadline target for several teams, and wound up netting the Mets a solid return.

His production did tail off a bit with Arizona after the trade and considering the fact that he's 35 years old he probably won't replicate the production he had with the Mets, but he did rank in the 89th percentile in chase rate, the 90th percentile in xBA, and the 93rd percentile in average exit velocity according to baseball savant. There's every reason to believe if he's swinging at the right pitches and making great contact like he was in 2023, that he'll be an effective player in 2024 as well.

Pham is another guy who is nowhere near the defender Bader is, but provides more of the offense that this Mets team needs. Giving Nimmo another go in center field with more of an offensive-minded corner outfielder made more sense for the 2024 Mets than bringing in Bader to be a starter.