Image credit: Chris Simon
As this dreadful winter trudges on, actual baseball news has been tough to come by. Coaching carousels are moving full speed ahead (the Mets included, as they continue their search for a bench coach, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic; $), but, as is a sign of the locked-out times, player news has been sporadic, at best.
On Monday, as if the baseball gods knew we were jonesing bad, we got not just one, but two New York Metropolitan tidbits. Well, three if we’re counting Juan Soto’s younger brother Elian reportedly choosing to sign with the Nationals next year (Britt Ghiroli, The Athletic) instead of the Mets, who were previously mentioned as his destination. But we’re not getting into all of that today.
Per Mike Puma of the New York Post, Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo — one year away from free agency and rumored to be considering a long-term contract extension in Flushing — has switched his agent representation from CAA to Boras Corp., mega-agent Scott Boras’ firm. This could mean any number of things for the Mets.
The dynamic Nimmo, 28 (turns 29 on March 27), brings to this roster holds value. Since the start of 2018, Nimmo’s .267/.398/.457 line (139 wRC+, 13th in MLB; OBP t-4th) may not scream superstar, but his contributions have been wholly evident.
Staying healthy and on the field has proven to be a battle for Nimmo (100+ games played just once in his career; 55 of 60 in 2020), but when he’s in there, he’s been the straw that stirs the drink. No question.
As the first batter of the game last season (76 plate appearances), Nimmo hit .313/.421/.500. Leading off any inning (140 PA), he slashed .356/.457/.568. He had a .280/.408/.393 line with men on base (132 PA) and a .268/.423/.339 slash with runners in scoring position (13 walks, 14 strikeouts in 71 PA; a few more extra bases would have been nice). Sparkplug status, all the way.
His outfield defense has been at-or-above average around the grass (+4 OAA in center field last season was his highest single-season mark at any outfield position; +3 OAA in left field in 2018 was his previous high). And with the addition of a true centerfielder in Starling Marte, Nimmo’s value as a defender should see a boost being back in the corners.
Again, Brandon Nimmo has and should continue to be a valuable piece of this puzzle if he stays in Flushing. And Scott Boras’ hands being on the wheel of potential Nimmo extension shouldn't be considered a hindrance to a possible agreement. I have to check my notes, but I’m pretty sure the Mets took Boras’ biggest fish out of the pond earlier this offseason with minimal hurdles.
That being said, we can be sure that Boras will make Nimmo’s importance to the Mets a pillar of negotiations, and there aren’t many better than him at highlighting a player’s value.
Now, if Boras attaches a $20 million per year price tag to Nimmo, naturally, New York will have to step back and assess. But if both parties are interested in seeing this thing through, one would imagine there’s a middle ground to be discovered.
Image credit: Chris Simon
Our friend Raul Ramos of Con Los Bases Full relayed some intriguing information regarding Mets closer Edwin Díaz on Monday, sharing that the right-hander has been working with former MLB reliever Héctor Mercado in their native Puerto Rico with the intent of entering spring training (whenever that may be) “game ready”.
Díaz, 27, wasn’t quite the strikeout force last season that he’s been in the past (12.78 strikeouts per compared to 14.75 K/9 career average heading into the year), but the fireballer (98.9 MPH average fastball velocity) limited home runs very well (0.43 per nine) and posted his lowest walks-per-nine (3.30) since 2018 with Seattle.
The evolution of a pitcher will never not interest me. I swear. And over the last few seasons, Díaz’s made more than evident progress harnessing that otherworldly talent contained within his right arm.
In 2019, his first season in Queens, Díaz gave up 15 homers (nine versus his four-seam, six off the slider). Last season, he allowed just three home runs total, including zero against his slider (.181 slugging percentage and 47.9% whiff rate; geez). We love to see that.
Díaz making a conscious effort through this fractured offseason to ensure he continues on the trajectory he’s reacclimated himself to in recent seasons is a huge deal for the player and the team. And just like Nimmo, Díaz will be a free agent after this season. Big year ahead.
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