3 former Braves players the Mets should consider signing this offseason
Three bats once belonging to the Braves are available for the Mets this winter.
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Or at least take some of their former players. Three free agents who once represented the Atlanta Braves will become available this offseason for the New York Mets. Each helped the Braves win in 2021. Can any help the Mets achieve the goal in 2024?
It's these three former Braves the Mets should look at in free agency to, you know, steal an ex from one of their most bitter rivals.
1) Jorge Soler
Jorge Soler was huge for the Braves in 2021 and managed to land himself a sweet deal in free agency with the Miami Marlins because of it. He had a mostly unproductive first season in Miami. Soler shined brightly this past year.
Which version of Soler will his next team get? Will it be the .207/.295/.400 hitter from 2022 that missed more than half the season or the 36 homer slugger that slashed .250/.341/.512 as he did in 2023?
The fit for Soler is obvious. He can play one of the corner outfield spots occasionally while taking on the bulk of the DH duties. Adding 30+ home runs to the Mets lineup would be huge even if he is an imperfect player.
Soler turned down his $9 million option for 2024 to test free agency again. It was the smart choice for a guy with only one more big chance at a multi-year contract. He shouldn’t be a top choice for the Mets by any means. Beyond being a DH option for the ball club to fall back on for a shorter deal, he’s not an exceptional target.
2) Joc Pederson
There is definitely some irony here if the Mets were to sign Joc Pederson. He would, in some ways, take the role they signed Tommy Pham for this past year. It's still impossible to think about either of them without recalling the infamous slap over fantasy football rules.
Aside from this being a cheeky signing, Pederson could give the Mets similar production as Soler but from the left side of the plate. Also a corner outfielder better utilized as a DH, could this one-time Braves fan favorite make his way to Queens?
Pederson had a very good 2022 season with the San Francisco Giants but followed it up with a much less productive year with them in 2023. His batting average dropped from .274 to .235. His home runs went from 23 to 15 in only 8 fewer plate appearances. A drastically declining glove made him a DH more often than not.
Pederson does have some of that championship “swagger” the Mets were missing last year. We saw how he brought a different kind of attitude to the Braves in 2021. From the onset, could he offer the same fun attitude for the Mets in 2024?
Less of a power hitter than Soler but a guy to likely rebound and hit for a better average, the choice between these two could be whether or not the Mets prefer a primary DH who is a righty or a lefty. Neither is a good defensive player any longer so if that’s what the team is looking for, they can move on. Maybe they even look at this third ex-Braves player.
3) Adam Duvall
Finally, we have a guy the Mets were rumored to have interest in last offseason before they signed Pham. Adam Duvall was another key player for the Braves in the recent past. He settled on a one-year pact with the Boston Red Sox last year due to injuries the season prior. He started off great then got hurt again. Most of his year was a wash for a Red Sox club lost in mediocrity.
Duvall isn't exactly in the position to have the same role as Soler or Pederson who'd be locks to become the starting DH. He's actually a better fit for the Mets as an everyday outfielder with a good glove. His bat has power in it, too. It wasn't long ago when he led the National League in RBI in his 2021 campaign split between Miami and Atlanta. In only 92 games for Boston last year, he still managed to power 21 bombs and drive in 58.
Duvall is a realistic free agent target for the Mets because of how much more pliable the rest of the rest would be. Soler and Pederson are MLB starting DHs. Duvall can play the outfield and even float around or sit a little more regularly. He’s a capable center fielder who, like Brandon Nimmo, will probably have more to offer in a corner spot. Duvall would be a superb replacement for Mark Canha with an increase in power and a lot less in terms of OBP.
The fun part about Duvall is the Mets leave the DH spot more open. It's Soler or Pederson. With Duvall, it's him and someone else. Because of missed time in 2023 and being the oldest of these three, another one-year deal could be in the works for Duvall.