3 Mets free agent targets for the bench

Championship Series - New York Yankees v Houston Astros - Game One
Championship Series - New York Yankees v Houston Astros - Game One | Tom Pennington/GettyImages
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3) NY Mets free agent target: Chad Pinder

Former Oakland A's utility player Chad Pinder is currently a free agent searching for a new home this winter and he may be an appealing option for the Mets as well for a potential bench piece. While Pinder has spent his entire Major League career with the A's since 2016, he is more likely than not going to be in a different uniform next season, as there has been no interest from the A's front office in bringing him back to this point.

The 30-year-old Pinder can be considered a jack of all trades as he can play all over the diamond, but what may be most appealing to the Mets is his success against left-handed pitching. In 158 plate appearances against southpaws in 2022, the right-handed Pinder slashed 260/.280/.447 with seven home runs. Pinder notoriously has had success throughout his career against lefties, which would be a welcome addition after the failed Darin Ruf experiment in 2022

Pinder would almost fit a Joe McEwing type of role for the Mets if they were to bring him on as a bench piece next season due to his positional versatility. It will be interesting to see what type of deal Pinder lands this winter, but I would assume he would be looking possibly for a two-year deal around $3-$4 million per season which would fit nicely in the Mets' budget.

While all three of these names may not be the impact bats that many Mets fans are currently looking for, I believe each one of these players would make a great addition to the ball club next season in their own way. It won't cost much to bring any of these players in and I believe the front office should explore how each of these three could help fit the current mold of their roster going into 2023.

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