The New York Mets may have gotten some bad press this week, but they more than made up for it on Friday.
The Mets loaded up with several free-agent signings. The highlight was agreeing to a four-year, $78 million deal with center fielder Starling Marte, pending a physical, per Jon Heyman of the MLB Network.
The Mets also landed Mark Canha on a two-year, $26.5 million deal, according to per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. They got Eduardo Escobar on a two-year, $20 million deal, per Sherman.
Marte was the gem of their signings. A former All-Star in Pittsburgh, the 33-year-old center fielder batted .310/.383/.458 last season. He also stole a career-high 47 bases and was caught stealing just five times.
Marte is a center fielder with a career .289 average and .797 OPS, plus he can steal you 40 bags a season. Teams might have been concerned about him aging, which could explain why the Mets landed him on a four-year deal, but he should help the team tremendously.
Canha, 32, has spent his career with the A’s. The first baseman/outfielder offers some power, but it comes at the cost of a low batting average. He batted .231 last season and is a career .244 hitter.
The Mets must not mind the low average/good power type of players, because they also added Escobar. The 32-year-old infielder slugged 28 home runs during an All-Star campaign last season. He batted .253 with a .786 OPS. He’s a career .256 batter with a .745 OPS.
Mets fans will enjoy being in the headlines due to these signings much more than being in the headlines because of the team owner Steve Cohen’s behavior.
More must-reads: