Why don't the Mets value the DH position?
Six Mets rank in ESPN's top 100 prospects list. Plus, digging into why the organization seems to devalue the DH position.
What’s Up with the Mets? 🍎
The Mets could be waiting for the price to drop on free DH options J.D. Martínez and Jorge Soler (Sports Illustrated)
New York had six players ranked in ESPN’s Top 100 prospects list (ESPN)
Former Mets RHP Joe Smith officially announced his retirement after 15 seasons in the major leagues
New York signed INF/OF José Rondón to a minor league contract
The Mets keep ignoring the DH spot in their lineup… ✍️
The 2024 season will mark the fourth year that the National League has had the designated hitter position, and by all accounts it would appear that the Mets are planning on ignoring it once again.
Various reports throughout the offseason have suggested that New York is comfortable with their internal options at the position, giving Mark Vientos the majority of the at-bats at the DH spot. What’s odd to me is that this has been the team’s approach in each of their other three seasons with the DH being adopted, and it’s never truly worked out for them.
In 2020, a year where NL clubs, in fairness, didn’t have much time to prepare for the DH spot because of the pandemic, the Mets originally planned for Yoenis Céspedes to act as the team’s main designated hitter. Coming off multiple years with injury issues, the DH spot opening up seemed to be the perfect way to get Céspedes back in the mix. Not long into the season, however, a struggling Céspedes decided to opt out of the remainder of the season and leave the team for good. This forced the team to go with a revolving door at the position between Pete Alonso (17 games), Robinson Canó (13 games) and JD Davis (13 games), with a handful of others taking the remaining reps.
In 2022 when the DH position returned to become a permanent staple in the National League, and this time with more advanced notice, the Mets once again opted to go with the internal solution route. Their original plan was for JD Davis and Dom Smith to act as a righty-lefty platoon at the position, a plan that worked out so poorly that the Mets felt that trading for Darin Ruf and Daniel Vogelbach as their midseason replacements was actually an improvement.
Ultimately, Mets designated hitters batted .218/.314/.371 in the 2022 season with 18 home runs, 183 strikeouts and a .685 OPS.
Despite this tactic blowing up in their faces in 2022, the organization once again decided to triple down on their strategy and move forward with their internal options at the DH spot last season. Third time’s a charm, right?
Well, not so fast. In 2023, the club went with the platoon of Daniel Vogelbach and Mark Vientos as Plan A for the position. That pairing made up 77 percent of the team’s starts at DH, while players such as Tommy Pham, Mark Canha and Pete Alonso each had a handful of spells at the spot.
Once again, the Mets struggled at the position as their DHs combined to hit .220/.312/.403 with 30 home runs and a .715 OPS.
Now, as Spring Training is merely weeks away, the Mets appear to be comfortable going with this internal bandaid solution for a fourth time. Justin Turner would have a been a great veteran option who could act as a mentor and spell Brett Baty at third base on occasion, but the Mets opted not to pursue him heavily as he signed with the Blue Jays earlier this week.
There has been more recent speculation that perhaps the club is waiting out the markets of J.D. Martínez and Jorge Soler in the hopes at getting one of them at a bargain price. Either of them would be a great option as a power-hitting lineup protector behind Alonso, but if the whispers are true that the organization does not want to offer either player more than a $5 million contract for one year, I still have a hard time seeing this get done. Both of these players are still available as February is upon us so anything is possible, but they both are coming off of really good power seasons so it’s hard to believe that another team can’t beat that price tag.
As pitchers and catchers report perhaps we’ll get a nice surprise with an unexpected signing here, but if not, we will once again be left to wonder why the organization — under three different GMs/Presidents — continues to ignore the DH position. Like it or not it’s here to stay, and it needs to be addressed eventually.
Hot Stove 🔥
The Padres reportedly signed LHP Wandy Peralta to a four-year, $16.5 million contract with three player options (Rosenthal)
Former Mets RHP Robert Gsellman reportedly signed a minor league contract with the Nationals (Heyman)
The Mariners attempted to acquire OF Max Kepler in their five-player trade with the Twins, but that never materialized (Morosi)
Why are you unwilling to give Vientos a chance?
As far as relief pitchers go maybe we can talk Joe Smith out of retirement !!