3 Mets rival free agent signings they should've made instead

3) The Mets should’ve signed Eddie Rosario

Eddie Rosario feels like one of the biggest free agent snubs of the offseason. Younger than Merrifield and Duvall, he ended up with the Washington Nationals on a split contract worth $2 million with another $2 million of incentives. Rosario was healthy last year, hammered 21 home runs, and was a Gold Glove finalist in left field. How did he pass through the league and end up with a rebuilding ball club on such an affordable contract?

Rosario might’ve fit with the Mets even better than Merrifield and Duvall. Merrifield’s redundancy with Jeff McNeil on the roster and Duvall’s lack of durability for two straight seasons can justifiably point the Mets in a different direction. Merrifield, at his price, seems fairer than the kind of steal Rosario could end up being for Washington.

Up through the time he signed with the Nationals, Rosario still made sense for the Mets. The left-handed hitting outfielder could have started regularly against righties over Bader. Brandon Nimmo could play center field in those games and allow the other two to battle it out for playing time as the season progresses. The Mets never made any strong hint of wavering from a planned outfield consisting of Nimmo in left field, Bader in center field, and Starling Marte as the right fielder.

For depth and maybe even an opportunity to win a starting job, Rosario was someone the Mets should have sought to add.