The Mets were a finalist for third baseman J.D. Davis before he signed with the A’s last week, as noted by Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Per Sherman, a “large extent” of Davis’s reason for picking the A’s was that the A’s guaranteed him regular playing time, while the Mets weren’t able to do the same.
Davis, 31 next month, slashed a decent .248/.325/.413 with a 104 wRC+ last year as a member of the Giants and sports a strong 120 wRC+ in five seasons since he first broke out with the Mets back in 2019. A reunion in New York could have made plenty of sense, given the uncertainty the club is facing at both third base and DH entering the 2023 season. That being said, it’s hardly a surprise that the club wasn’t willing to guarantee Davis regular playing time. After all, president of baseball operations David Stearns has frequently made clear that the club doesn’t plan to make further additions at third base after signing Joey Wendle to a one-year deal back in November, instead letting youngsters Brett Baty and Mark Vientos attempt to claim the position while relying on Wendle as veteran insurance off the bench.
It’s a similar story at DH. While the club has been linked to veteran slugger J.D. Martinez as recently as last week, the club has long seemed to prefer to fill the spot internally by allowing Baty and Vientos additional time in the lineup when they aren’t playing third base while also opening up opportunities for the likes of DJ Stewart, who slashed an impressive .244/.333/.506 in 185 trips to the plate with the club last year, and offering the club the ability to rest veterans like Starling Marte without completely removing them from the lineup. While Davis was certainly a strong fit for the club’s positional needs, it’s possible they felt that his roughly league average numbers last year wouldn’t be enough of an upgrade to their roster to warrant passing on the opportunity to give younger players like Baty and Vientos regular reps.
More from around Mets camp…
- Club owner Steve Cohen spoke to reporters (including SNY’s Alex Smith), and during the presser discussed the future of first baseman Pete Alonso, who is slated to hit free agency following the 2024 season. Cohen made clear that the sides “haven’t had any discussions” regarding a possible extension this spring, adding that it would be best for both Alonso and the Mets if the sides went into the regular season without any distractions. Cohen’s words echo previous comments from Stearns, who has long indicated that Alonso was likely to hit free agency following the coming campaign. Even so, Cohen made clear that Alonso hitting free agency was in no way a guarantee that 2024 would be his final year as a Met, saying that the club will “figure it out” once free agency hits while noting the club’s successful deals to retain closer Edwin Diaz and center fielder Brandon Nimmo after the pair hit free agency during the 2022-23 offseason. One of the game’s premiere power hitters, Alonso owns a lifetime .251/.342/.528 slash line and has slugged 192 home runs during his career, 46 of which came during the 2023 season.
- As noted recently by Sherman, second baseman Jeff McNeil has yet to appear in a game this spring as he continues to recover from a partially torn UCL he was diagnosed with back in September. NcNeil was able to avoid surgery, but the club has taken things slow with him this spring to this point. While he was initially expected to make his spring debut during today’s game against the Nationals, Sherman relays that, per manager Carlos Mendoza, that’s been pushed back to a likely debut on Tuesday against the Cardinals in order to keep McNeil in a more controlled setting as long as possible. While a lengthy layoff from spring action often spurs questions about a player’s ability to be ready for Opening Day, Sherman adds that the Mets hold no such concern about McNeil, with hitting coach Eric Chavez suggesting that McNeil only needs 20 at-bats in spring games to prepare for the coming season. McNeil has played all around the diamond during his time with the Mets but figures to act as the club’s everyday second baseman in 2024.
Alonso will not re-Pete with Mets
“Not re-Pete”..Pete’s a decent player, but I fear he’s heading towards an off-season reality check. One tool sluggers have been devalued quite a bit in recent years and the only one that thinks he’s a $200M+ player is Pete himself and his agent, Scott Boras.
mlb fan said it perfectly
Agree
Not saying he is a 200 million plus player but to call him a “one tool slugger” meaning he just hits homeruns is far from accurate. Not only does he have the most homeruns since entering the league in 2019 he also has the Most RBIs in all of baseball. Yeah I’ll take that guy on my ball club any day of the week. The guy plays virtually every single day also.
Chicks may dig the long ball, but ballclubs know Boras wants to hold them up without a gun.
It’s one hell of a tool but dont see a 200m guarantee
I imagine Pete and his family are thinking about how he’ll look in a Rays jersey.
Dear goodness if he takes the next thing if the Braves try to land him. That won’t be fun seeing him as their DH.
He will get his $$$, unfortunately it won’t be the Mets paying. The 175 he gets is for the hopes and dreams of adding an Alonso to a lineup. The 130 the Mets offer will be to keep Alonso in the lineup.
But will he Three-Pete?
For Petes sake, enough with the name puns.
Don’t worry, the joke had pretty much Petered out.
Alonso is getting the Prince Fieder treatment from Stearns. We won’t be seeing him in a Mets uniform after 2023
It’s 2024 and I just watched Pete play all of spring in a Mets uniform
Ride or die with Vientos & Baty. Maybe team surprises. But looks the part of mid to high 70s wins at best
Time to see what these young guys can do and then re-evaluate for 2025.
@acoss13 Yes. Short of a month of hitting a punchless .080 with no sign of life, give them the season to figure it out. Or not.
These Mets aren’t going anywhere, but the 2026 Mets might—so find out to a certainty if Vientos and-or Baty will be the DH or 3Bman on the next good Mets team a couple, three years from now.
That they’re even speaking to JD Martinez and JD Davis is irksome. Why would they? Neither is a fit. Neither one does anything except take time from Vientos and Baty. In DJ Stewart the Mets have a plausible DH if one is needed. They have Wendle to sort of fill in at 3B if needed.
Granted McNeil’s injury complicates things, but signing a DH-first player because your 2Bman may be out isn’t smart, particularly when doing so doesn’t create a chain of availability that would fill the slot.
Signing Joey Wendle for $2m when someone like Amed Rosario went for 1/$1.5m? Not a coup for Stearns. Nor was Bader at 1/$10m when Michael A. Taylor signed for $1/4m.
Btw, with new coaching either one might turn it around at 3B. Baty and Vientos grew up with the same (lack of) teaching that JD Davis did in the Mets system, ‘teaching’ that made him one of the worst fielding 3Bman in baseball until San Francisco turned him around, something they were able to do almost immediately.
That actually bodes well for Baty and Vientos. Assuming Stearns recognizes this, and he should, Baty and Vientos should be getting very different fielding instruction than they were as late as the 2023 season.
This season is going to prove why park adjusted stats are the worst. JD Davis will hit his usual slash line and since the A’s park is “super pitcher friendly”, his WAR and OPS+ are going to be much higher than his usual standards. Some will see him as an amazing player this year. Only a fool would take into account the ballpark
I think Mets will keep Alonso. He’s the franchise player. Why would Mets let him walk? If that’s the case, let’s go Judge for Alonso now.
Lindor being paid $341M and not the franchise player. Maybe why Pete is on the fast track to free agency.
That being said, he will not age well. Chasing franchise money while being a DH most of the contract on most teams.
@LFG
L O L great call bro LMAO
@MetsSchmets I wasn’t wrong. JD Davis was one of the A’s best hitters. He got inconsistent playing time and was only DA’d because of his defense
2024 is his worst season in walk %, batting avg, OBP, wOBA, xwOBA and wRC+ but ok in your world I guess he’s doing great
DJ Stewart’s slash line is not “impressive.”
It is for DJ Stewart.
Wait—a 128 OPS+ isn’t impressive? It’s somewhat impressive.
Still, his OPS+ from 2019 through 2022 was 94. Just 94. Expecting him to do significantly better than that at age 30 isn’t reasonable.
Unless the Mets are going to give away a lot of Vientos’ PA’s at DH to Stewart, it’s hard to see his value given Stewart has cost 24 runs on defense in just 806 career PA (according to bdWAR), putting him in the running for ‘worst defensive player’ in MLB. And why would you want Stewart to take PA from a sophomore who desperately needs them?
I was talking about his .244/.333/.506 slash line the author referenced, which in fact isn’t good.
Well, in a pitchers’ park like Citi, it surely is. In fact it’s 16% better when park adjusted than the average Braves hitter in 2023, when the Braves were just about the best-hitting team ever to play the game in the context of the league they were in.
DJ Stewart was in fact a hair better than the average hitter for the 1927 Yankees (127 OPS+) in the context of their park and league, and far better than the average hitter for the 1939 Yankees and the 1975-76 Big Red Machine.
He was pretty good last year.
Umm no, just no, that is an absolutely ridiculous take. You are comparing his ops+ in 185 trips to the plate, vs teams with historical hitting stats, where almost all the regulars had between 500 and 700 plate appearances. Yes he was pretty good, but he cannot be compared to really anybody on any of those teams. I’m mind blown that you even tried to make that comparison.
@Braves_saints_celts
You’re wildly confused. The original claimant was talking about his OPS only, and denigrating it.
That was the ONLY point of comparison, not longevity, not PA, just his seasonaOPS.
You read poorly, my son. I’m concerned for you.
Umm no because you can’t compare that to a certain amount of PA, so your saying someone who had an ops of 125 in say 30 plate appearances, they had a good season? Sure in that 30 PA worth, but nowhere can you say oh his ops was better than someone who had 500-700 PA while having a historical season. Thats asinine. His ops was better because in his limited role he capitalized on it, but he’s not a hitter who you can throw on any of those teams and expect him to hit at a historical pace as they all did collectively it’s just not happening. But IDC if you’re concerned for me, I’m a random in the internet go be concerned about something that actually affects your daily life. I’ll do the same, like worrying about my family. We are entitled to our opinions though so to each their own!
For the second time now Jack, I wasn’t talking about his OPS. A slash line is a hitter’s average, on-base, and slugging. That’s what the author referenced, that’s what I’m referencing. And guess what? DJ Stewart’s slash line wasn’t good. For you to say he was better than the ’27 Yankees and Big Red Machine, as Braves puts it, is asinine. You are making a mountain out of a mole hill and it’s quite annoying.
It’s clear Alonso wants to test free agency, but I’d still be shocked if he leaves the Mets. These days, players just want to experience being a FA at least once.
He’s not leaving. He loves new York. Lindor’s bloated contrast and underperformance is the elephant in the clubhouse. If the Mets make a deep playoff run and he puts up his usual .250/.370/550 45 110, he’ll get his money.
contract**.
I wouldn’t say he’s definitely not leaving. Plenty of players love their team until they leave, but yeah, I’d be shocked as I said.
Lindor is underperforming compared to Andres Giminez, but he’s not underperforming compared to his contract.
Are the Mets fools enough to give Alonso something like 7/200m, a RH 1Bman who is in steep decline and will be 30 the first year of his FA deal—particularly when the Mets already have a passel of post-prime players signed to big deals and where the context is Alonso plays the easiest position on the diamond to fill?
They might be, but if Stearns is an above average GM and Cohen wasn’t in the way, Stearns surely would have dealt Pete this offseason.
Lindor in no way under performed. He is a top 5 SS that hit 30+ HRs, 98RBI and 30+ SB. Runnerup to Gold Glove. Very difficult to replace.
I truly am mystified by the Lindor hate
@westcoastmetsfan
Same. I truly loathed the deal that brought Lindor to the Mets in the context of what the team had and what it really needed as of the 2020-21 offseason, but in fairness he’s a tremendous SS, back on the HOF track after a concerning 2021. After three years w/ the Mets and two years of the 10 year extension, Lindor still offers the Mets some surplus value in the context of other top SS’s contracts. That’s impressive.
It might be the way his first season in NY went, and the expectation from people who don’t know any better that a top SS should hit like a 1Bman or corner OFer.
As millions said of Freddie Freeman, v2022-23 offseason
“He’s not leaving. He loves new York.”
I really wish guys would stop convincing themselves that a player loves the city he plays in when he grew up and lives somewhere else.
Pete loves Tampa. If the Rays had the money to pay him what the Mets can, he’d leave the Mets in a heartbeat.
You better hope that the Braves or one of the Texas teams don’t make a move for him. If one of them do, you’ll see how very little he loves NY, just like you all experienced it with DeGrom, who many of you claimed loved NY. Same thing with Mike Hampton.
Just because a player gets paid to play in a city does not mean he loves it. In this case, it’s laughable to think a lifelong Floridian loves NY. I guess those of you that say that have never been to Florida. Kids in Florida, Texas, California, Georgia, which have a lot of MLB talent, don’t love NY when they play for your team. They love their hometowns. they work in NY when they play there.
hahaha deGrom never, ever loved NYC. He’s right at home on the range.
More like right at home on the IL.
No. Some people have loyalty. You clearly cannot even fathom the idea
@MetsSchmets
Some people love the place where they actually have spent their entire lives in and still live in.
You clearly cannot fathom that idea. But I kind of understand for people that live in NY. People in Florida actually love where they live. That’s true loyalty. And like I said, if the Rays could give him the money like the Mets can, you’ll see how fast Pete will be wearing that Rays jersey for the team instead of as a fan and loyal resident of that area…all his life.
That’s not loyalty that’s a fear of moving on lol
@MetsSchmets
Fear of moving on? So what does that say about you still in NY?
Seems like you didn’t think your comment out very well. Oops!
It’s important to remember that this is a job. That’s like having loyalty to Amazon or Google even though they’d layoff your entire team in a heartbeat (true story).
Players have to do what’s best for them and their families. I have no doubt Alonso enjoys NY and the Mets, but if they aren’t going to pay him what he wants, him leaving wouldn’t be disloyal. It would be idiotic to stay if that were the case.
I live in Los Angeles you dork
@MetsSchmets
I live on Mars.
Prove that my statement is any more false than yours.
@bannedmarlins
The likelihood I’m one of 1 of 9.8 million people living in LA County is greater to an infinite degree than the likelihood you’re 1 of 0 living on Mars.
Also; I DO live in LA and you ARE a dolt.
@MetsSchmets
So, you live in LA? Let’s say you do. You’ve never lived in NY?
Seems like this exchange between us just gets more interesting.
You talk about Alonso being loyal to a place he doesn’t live in…while you supposedly live in a place that isn’t NY, while you support and root for NY and are saying that a guy will stay there because of loyalty. So many things can be brought out of that.
or
You’re someone that has never lived in NY, but probably became a Mets fan when it became convenient (like bandwagonning your way there).
or
You’re fibbing about that location you live in.
All three possibilities provide good comedy. So, which is it?
Marlins
You’re a legit psychopath
@MetsSchmets
Why? Because I called you out on your faulty logic?
Listen up you complete reject.
Loyalty doesn’t mean “I’m scared to leave home”. You got it? You can be loyal to things that aren’t the small-town of 2300 people you grew up in. Can you process that information? Are you even capable of learning?
I’m from New York. I live in Los Angeles. I’m not a mouth breathing hillbilly from boonies Florida who thinks a nice night is cracker barrel and staring at my daughter. I don’t care what logic you think you conjured up because it’s all nonsense jibberish. Pete is not loyal to Florida you putz. He’s loyal to the team that drafted him, developed him and cheered for him.
I know tons of stupid people. I’ve even known people so stupid they didn’t even know they were stupid. You, however, are in this new class of stupid I see in conservative conversation and frequently on the Internet. You revel in it. Your stupidity is part of your identity. It’s a badge of honor. People like you are everything wrong with the world. Weaponized stupidity.
Wow, the intelligence is just spewing out of you, especially in this last statement.
And it shows how well you know Florida…especially the place where Pete is from…and South Florida where I live. Clearly you’ve never been here or know here.
And keep talking about loyalty to NY when you live in LA.
Like I said, if the Rays could pay Pete like the Mets can, he’d be waiting to replace the Rays jersey he has in his closet with the team one he’d wear playing for the team. However, i’ll go more realistic. You as a Mets fan who is loyal to NY while living in LA, better hope that neither Texas team or the Braves make a play for Alonso this offseason because you’ll learn, just like you did with Florida resident deGrom (and remember florida resident Mike Hampton), how very little love or little loyalty Pete has for NY…on how much he loves and is loyal to the place and part of the country he has spent his entire life living in…and has never moved away from despite not playing there.
Keep showing more of your intelligence though.
It’s really weird how you distort what I say into something I didn’t. You keep thinking loyalty to a place is what I’m saying is important. You keep saying loyalty to a place is what Pete is prioritizing. You’ve said it like 8 times. You’ve missed the point every time. When your dumb fingers type dumb nonsense on your dumb phone in your dumb state of Florida you’ve been missing the point each time.
This is what you sound like: “one time pete spent a night at a red roof inn near Orlando and the soda machine have him an extra RC Cola by accident, you don’t think he’s gonna remember that? Interesting”
Tampa sucks btw I have family there and have been there. Miami sucks too. You probably live in a trailer. Go jump in an alligator infused creek you dummy.
Florida, and you, suck.
@MetsSchmets
See your stupidity continue.
Alonso spent a bit more time in Tampa than “a night at a red roof inn near Orlando and the soda machine have him an extra RC Cola by accident, you don’t think he’s gonna remember that? Interesting” He has lived there his entire life…and still does. But keep yapping. Your steretypical statements about Florida show that you’ve probably been the person you dexccribed in the Red Roof Inn in Orlando scenario.
And you show how very little you know about Miami. You use the alligator creek stereotype. Where in Miami have you seen that? Keep showing what you are. It’s really entertaining. You sound like the hick you’re trying to make Floridians sound like. You sound more like those northern small town Floridians more than all of us South Floridians.
Tell Pete Alonso, our fellow Floridian, that his town sucks next time you go to a Mets game…assuming you’ll get to one before Pete goes elsewhere.
Jesus Christ you didn’t grasp any of the sentences in that comment. Not a single one.
If your reading comprehension skills are reflective of Florida Public Schools then that’s as good a reason to avoid Florida as any other.
You’re not very smart. It’s fine, a lot of people aren’t, but you’re definitely one of them.
You just can’t seem to absorb any of the concepts I’m trying to get you to see. I can’t waste anymore time on you.
You speak gibberish.
What exactly are you trying to say? You said that Alonso is loyal to NY. I pointed that he’s loyal to his hometown of Tampa. You debated that, but with no real clear point. I made my point clear as day that guys are loyal to the home they have always lived in.
Again, speak clear instead of gibberish filled with nonsensical feces all over it. I don’t speak fecal gibberish (get the dictionary if this Floridian’s lingo is too complicated for you).
And sorry, but you trying to say that a Florida kid is loyal to NY when you yourself don’t even live in NY as a NY kid, is hilarious. Too bad that seems to be well above your head. But if you got it, you wouldn’t even try your argument the way you have. You’d have something clear and offers a different angle.
Oh, and the fact that you’re bashing Floridians is hilarious when your whole effort is to convince people that Florida kid, Pete Alonso is loyal to NY. Yerh, I’m sure he’s loyal to a place that Floridians don’t like…a place where there’s more people like you who bash Florida.
And if NY is so great, why are you living in California? If NY is a place that people would be loyal to, why are you in California?
Why aren’t you loyal to NY when you are a NY kid?
Why would you think a guy who is not a NY kid like you would be loyal to NY when you, as a NY kid, aren’t loyal to NY enough to stay there?
Hmmm…Pete Alonso is a Florida kid…and lives in Florida.
I’m a South Florida guy…and I live in South Florida.
Lindor underperforming is such a bad take.
If they gave Nimmo 8 years/$162 million I’m sure they’ll eventually agree to a contract with Alonso.
Do we all have to pretend now that Nimmo isn’t more valuable than Pete?
12.5 to 11.7 bWAR fr 2021-2023 (14.3 to 11.8 for unusual projection systems going back to 2020) at a much more difficult position to fill and in fewer PAs, and the ability to move down the defensive spectrum while playing above average defense, whereas Pete can only move to DH, something that should be happening by 2025-2026.
JackStarwb,
I get what you’re saying completely. It’s just that Nimmo has had his issues with injuries. When he’s on the field he’s productive for sure. Pete to his credit has remained relatively healthy. It’s an encouraging sign that Nimmo has played 150 games the last 2 seasons, but historically he’s spent some decent time on the IL and factoring in the way with how hard he plays I’d be shocked not to see him hurt at some point in the next few years.
In that regard I’m definitely concerned, CM.
But did you read the article (I’ve since lost track of) where Nimmo put down his improved durability beginning with the 2022 season to working LESS hard?
Turns out he was wearing himself out every game day, catch balls for hours, jogging, running, rarely sitting, and it just left him beat.
Strange that he and everyone else didn’t figure this out before his age 29 season, but if the proof of the pudding is in the eating, maybe he figured something out that will continue to keep him on the field 150+ games a year. And it might have been why, after the 2022 season, the Mets were willing to pay the big money, figuring he had cracked the code to staying on the field.
Cheers,
Face it. Davis preferred to play for the A’s! Much more positive attitude than with the Mets.
No, it is playing time, Davis is in a walk year so he needs to prove he is worth a contract next year to whatever team decides to sign him
From here on out, every year will be a walk year for JDD.
Wild take. Perhaps he wanted the chance to get the most ABs before he hits free agency again to earn a big contract.
Much more positive attitude than with the Mets.
======================
He wanted a better chance of making the playoffs.
If we lose Saquon and then Pete back to back I’m not sure my son will recover…two of his favorite players…
Saquon had to go to Philly too of all places.
The worst possible destination…
Huge mistake not to trade alonso
Look what cease brought back for white sox
Mets could have received valuable prospects
And now they wont sign him? Whats the point then? They’re not winning more than 75 gms this yr
Muts are back baby! New regime same as the old
It would be tough for the Mets to get a 50 FV prospect for Alonso (he’s making, what, $21m in salary in 2024 and at most will put up a 4 win season worth roughly $32m?
$11m shouldn’t even get you a 50 FV guy (Mark Vientos before his sad 2023 season, or Ronny Mauricio just before he got hurt—w/ a generally agreed value around $30m) but might with Pete because teh HRZZZZ!!! teh RIBEYEZZZ!!! Sigh.
It’s not likely at all to get you a 55 FV (Brett Baty-caliber) prospect, let alone two such guys, even if the acquiring team loves Pete as a (hypothetical) gate attraction. Which he might be for a couple of weeks.
@ Johnny utah Let’s not get carried away. He’s a 30-year old HR hitter entering his walk year. Cease is a young, inexpensive starting pitcher with two years of club control remaining. And the Mets can still get a return for Alonso by trading him at the deadline.
Lol they are literally 1 yr apart in age
Pete’s 29, cease 28
And Cease coming off worst yr of his career
It doesn’t matter. A 1B only player at 20M doesn’t have the value, even with all those homers.
Ceases’s value was in his cheap salary and control.
@Johnny utah As is Alonso. So…
So happy the A’s landed Davis! hope he does better than Kris Davis haha
As for Marte, I had not realized he was hitting .091/.130/.091 in 23 PA. 0/0 SB.
I’m all for throwing out ST stats, but shouldn’t a long-time borderline star be swatting ST pitching without breaking a sweat or at least have more than a couple of limp singles? In addition he’s not running. He’s not trying to run.
This is concerning.
Agreed. I never believed Marte and Bader would play full-time all year long. T Taylor will get a good chunk of playing time sharing with them. I think this whole team is in flux and we’ll see roster/line-up changes as the season goes on. Stearns loaded up on little lottery tickets – and I mean scratch-offs, not Powerball. If he’s lucky, one or two of them might win him back another scratch off (prospect) on the trade market. But most will get thrown out.
So when Marte and McNeil aren’t able to perform, and Baty/Vientos don’t impress at 3B, do the Mets put Wendle at 3B, and rush Acuña (2B) and Jett Williams (CF) or Drew Gilbert (RF)?
Or do we get Wendle and Iglesias on the grass and DJ Stewart in the OF?
No, absolutely do not rush the prospects. Call them up after the trade deadline unless they earn it sooner.
Well, that’s if they earn it at all. Acuna flatlined in AA, so badly he fell off fg’s top 100 list and probably others, He’ll have to prove himself all over again at Bingo and then he’s going to Syracuse. He’ll get a cup of coffee in September if he’s actually good all year, in both AA and AAA.
Agree that they need to earn it. Agree that is not a given. That said, Acuna has already been assigned to Syracuse.
Of course the Mets could change that if they want to. But thats where it stands at the moment.
He’ll be back with the Mets. He’ll go out and visit other clubs, like Nimmo did. But, for those of you outside the NY metro area, he’s very active in the community. He does fund raisers for charities in NY. He runs events, he’s involved here. He lives an active life here most of the year. In the end, he’ll resign with the Mets. He may not get 200 mil. But he’ll get a deal that gives him over market value.
Rebuilding yet they will lose him to free agency but don’t trade him when they could receive prospects.
If they let him get to free agency I think he’ll leave for the most $$. Don’t lose him for nothing, trade him then, I’d say to the Cubs along with Marte plus $10-$20 mil for Horton, Morel and Wisdom. Wisdom or Vientos can take over 1b with the other on the bench, Morel can DH and Horton can be a rotation piece in 2025
Makes sense to not sign Davis by the Mets. Davis isn’t terrible but I don’t think he is the long term answer at 3b for a contender, he is a mediocre to bad defender and offensively he is slightly above average but not spectacular (probably like a 105 to 110 wrc+).
Baty/vientos very well could be a lot worse and worst case have like an 80 wrc+ but at least there is upside.
Mets this year won’t make the playoffs unless they are hugely lucky so their goal should be to find out what they have with the young guys. If not one of baty/vientos breaks out the Mets will be forced to sign a long term solution as their two best infield prospects don’t really fit at 3rd, Jett Williams doesn’t have the arm for third and acuna probably doesn’t have enough power to project there.
“The Mets were a finalist for third baseman J.D. Davis before he signed with the A’s last week”
Yeah, And The Mets would have Won The World Series in 2015 if they hadn’t lost it too. What’s your point? and why does it matter? JD was ok when he was here, but he was by far not a game changer.
Not a game changer and not even a regular.
A nice part-timer if you spotted him right, and a good fit as say the 24th or 25th man on a contender, but you can’ send him out there for 140-150 games and expect much.