Can we cross C.J. Cron off the list after the Daniel Vogelbach trade?

San Diego Padres v Colorado Rockies
San Diego Padres v Colorado Rockies / Matthew Stockman/GettyImages

C.J. Cron is one of the leaders in the clubhouse as a potential DH answer for the club’s woes at the spot in the lineup. Recent New York Mets rumors have linked them to the All-Star Colorado Rockies first baseman. Will these Mets rumors can true?

Adding any All-Star bat to the lineup can’t be that bad of a call. However, in Cron’s case, there are some pros and cons to weigh. Now with Daniel Vogelbach on the roster, it feels far less likely with the cons taking a much greater lead.

Mets rumors: The pros and cons of a C.J. Cron trade

The pros of trading for C.J. Cron may begin and end with his bat and history of hitting for some good power. Cron has a lifetime average of 29 home runs per 162 games paired with 94 RBI. Amazingly, he has only ever once hit more than 29 in any actual season—first doing so in 2018 with the Tampa Bay Rays. He also only topped 80 RBI once when he did so last year by driving in 92 runs for the Rockies.

Cron has reached new heights as a member of the Rockies which always carries some doubts. A switch to Citi Field might set him up for failure. Last year he hit .326/.412/.661 at Coors Field and belted 19 of his 28 home runs there. On the road, he hit .235/.337/.397.

This year, the numbers aren’t much different. At the break he was hitting .352/.393/.674 at home with 16 of his 21 home runs. Away from Coors Field, he’s only hitting .229/.296/.399.

Most players will typically find themselves posting better numbers at home than on the road. In this case, Cron seems to be a clear benefactor of playing at one of the game’s most notorious hitter-friendly ballparks.

The cons of making these Mets rumors come true go beyond just his performance. Cron is exclusively a first baseman and still on the books for $7.25 million next season. A more defensively flexible position player that can play somewhere else would be preferred. If the Mets have to add a first baseman, a rental would be far better. There is no reason to carry two first basemen on the roster.

Cron’s All-Star campaign has made him an attractive trade target of the Mets. There’s no denying that if you inserted him into the lineup now at the DH they’d be a better club.

Unfortunately, struggles outside of Colorado lead the way along with defensive limitations and possibly having to carry him along next season. The Mets could always look to sell him in the offseason to at least rectify a part of the problem.

Is Cron the answer the Mets should seek at the DH spot? Eh, it feels like we would have been set up for a disappointment. His first half numbers against lefty pitchers include only a .248/.308/.495 slash line. There must be someone that fits better. Vogelbach isn't it but it does give us some hope of another addition which might be the biggest pro of all.

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