The Mets are faced with a mess in their outfield right now, but they are working on solutions.
According to Fox Sports , the Mets have spoken to the Pirates about possibly trading for center fielder Andrew McCutchen. The report says the two teams just started speaking and have yet to gain momentum, but this could be a move to watch out for.
As of right now, the Mets are set to start Curtis Granderson in center field next season, a position he has not played full time since 2012. Juan Lagares is the only true center fielder on the roster, but New York does not seem interested in making him the starter.
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McCutchen has been tossed around in trade speculation all offseason, with the Nationals and Dodgers leading the pursuit. Those teams have moved on, and now the Mets might be the most likely team to swoop in and snag the former MVP.
But what will they have to give up?
That question seems to be the biggest conundrum for teams seeking McCutchen. The Pirates want an arm and a leg, but teams aren't willing to take a risk giving up top talent for a player who has regressed in the last two seasons.
The Mets may be tempted to trade young pitching talent such as Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz or Zack Wheeler, but they would be unwise to do so.
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It would be more prudent for the Mets to hang onto their assets and sign a free agent such as Ben Revere, Rajai Davis or Michael Saunders. Other trade options could be Kansas City's Lorenzo Cain, Colorado's Charlie Blackmon or Cincinnati's Billy Hamilton.
All of those players would cost a pretty penny as well.
The Mets do have Jay Bruce and Yoenis Cespedes on the ends of their outfield, but they need a more natural center fielder to cover the ground those two can't. New York has a messy situation on its hands, and it may not get resolved in time for the start of spring training.