How are these 3 Mets free agent alternatives they skipped to sign Harrison Bader doing?

Is Harrison Bader outperforming his peers in 2024?
San Francisco Giants v New York Mets
San Francisco Giants v New York Mets / Rich Schultz/GettyImages
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3) Kevin Kiermaier

The Mets probably never had a real shot to sign Kevin Kiermaier. He has put together a fine career and in a lot of ways represents the ceiling for what Bader would want to reach. It’s not uncommon for Kiermaier to have a season hitting under .230 with an OBP a dozen or more points below .300. Signed by the Toronto Blue Jays for the same exact amount as Bader got from the Mets, this was probably a case of Kiermaier just wanting to stay with a team he was already familiar with thus no shot for David Stearns to make a credible offer.

Fortunately for the Mets, Kiermaier is looking his age. Now 34, he’s having one of those lower-end seasons he regularly put together in his decade with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Kiermaier has made 101 plate appearances and homered once while driving in 7. His .226/.280/.344 slash line is right there alongside Taylor. Considering Kiermaier costs more than twice as much, choosing between the pair is pretty easy.

An annual tradition as any in sports, Kiermaier has already been placed on the IL once this season. For such a well-known player who debuted in 2013 with one game to come into 2024 with only one season of playing in over 130 is quite an accomplishment. The Mets have been fortunate with Bader who has managed to stay available to them.

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