Elvis Andrus and 3 other free agent infielders to look at right now

2) NY Mets roster doesn’t need Didi Gregorius quite as much

The decline of Didi Gregorius on defense makes him a much more natural player to transition from shortstop to either second base or third base. That doesn’t mean he’d be able to play either all that well. This is the big leagues. Every position is tough.

Gregorius does hit left-handed which makes him slightly less desirable than Andrus. With the Philadelphia Phillies this year, his offensive numbers were worse, too. He slashed .210/.263/.304 with only a single home run for Philadelphia. This came after a .209/.270/.370 performance in 408 plate appearances last year.

Gregorius is a much worse fit than Andrus simply because of the side he hits from. It feels like a deal-breaker. Knowing he also isn’t good defensively, one would have to wonder if the Mets signing him would have any purpose at all. Daniel Vogelbach would hit over him and so would Tyler Naquin. Gregorius might be a better hitter than Marrero right now but it’s only slight.

We’ll have to pass on the idea of bringing this former New York Yankees infielder to Flushing. But maybe, if we wanted to be a little obnoxious, the Mets could sign him for only the Subway Series next week.

Let’s not be petty, though. Andrus is much better. What about the other guys available?