Mets Notes: Davis, Alonso, McNeil

The Mets had been a finalist for third baseman J.D. Davis earlier than he signed with the A’s final week, as famous by Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Per Sherman, a “giant extent” of Davis’s purpose for choosing the A’s was that the A’s assured him common enjoying time, whereas the Mets weren’t capable of do the identical.

Davis, 31 subsequent month, slashed a good .248/.325/.413 with a 104 wRC+ final 12 months as a member of the Giants and sports activities a powerful 120 wRC+ in 5 seasons since he first broke out with the Mets again in 2019. A reunion in New York may have made loads of sense, given the uncertainty the membership is dealing with at each third base and DH coming into the 2023 season. That being mentioned, it’s hardly a shock that the membership wasn’t prepared to ensure Davis common enjoying time. In any case, president of baseball operations David Stearns has often made clear that the membership doesn’t plan to make additional additions at third base after signing Joey Wendle to a one-year deal again in November, as an alternative letting kids Brett Baty and Mark Vientos try to say the place whereas counting on Wendle as veteran insurance coverage off the bench.

It’s the same story at DH. Whereas the membership has been linked to veteran slugger J.D. Martinez as not too long ago as final week, the membership has lengthy appeared to want to fill the spot internally by permitting Baty and Vientos further time within the lineup once they aren’t enjoying third base whereas additionally opening up alternatives for the likes of DJ Stewart, who slashed a powerful .244/.333/.506 in 185 journeys to the plate with the membership final 12 months, and providing the membership the power to relaxation veterans like Starling Marte with out utterly eradicating them from the lineup. Whereas Davis was definitely a powerful match for the membership’s positional wants, it’s doable they felt that his roughly league common numbers final 12 months wouldn’t be sufficient of an improve to their roster to warrant passing on the chance to provide youthful gamers like Baty and Vientos common reps.

Extra from round Mets camp…

• Membership proprietor Steve Cohen spoke to reporters (together with SNY’s Alex Smith), and in the course of the presser mentioned the way forward for first baseman Pete Alonso, who’s slated to hit free company following the 2024 season. Cohen made clear that the edges “haven’t had any discussions” relating to a doable extension this spring, including that it could be finest for each Alonso and the Mets if the edges went into the common season with none distractions. Cohen’s phrases echo earlier feedback from Stearns, who has lengthy indicated that Alonso was more likely to hit free company following the approaching marketing campaign. Even so, Cohen made clear that Alonso hitting free company was by no means a assure that 2024 can be his ultimate 12 months as a Met, saying that the membership will “determine it out” as soon as free company hits whereas noting the membership’s profitable offers to retain nearer Edwin Diaz and heart fielder Brandon Nimmo after the pair hit free company in the course of the 2022-23 offseason. One of many recreation’s premiere energy hitters, Alonso owns a lifetime .251/.342/.528 slash line and has slugged 192 dwelling runs throughout his profession, 46 of which got here in the course of the 2023 season.
• As famous not too long ago by Sherman, second baseman Jeff McNeil has but to look in a recreation this spring as he continues to get better from {a partially} torn UCL he was recognized with again in September. NcNeil was capable of keep away from surgical procedure, however the membership has taken issues sluggish with him this spring thus far. Whereas he was initially anticipated to make his spring debut throughout in the present day’s recreation in opposition to the Nationals, Sherman relays that, per supervisor Carlos Mendoza, that’s been pushed again to a possible debut on Tuesday in opposition to the Cardinals so as to maintain McNeil in a extra managed setting so long as doable. Whereas a prolonged layoff from spring motion typically spurs questions on a participant’s skill to be prepared for Opening Day, Sherman provides that the Mets maintain no such concern about McNeil, with hitting coach Eric Chavez suggesting that McNeil solely wants 20 at-bats in spring video games to organize for the approaching season. McNeil has performed throughout the diamond throughout his time with the Mets however figures to behave because the membership’s on a regular basis second baseman in 2024.