{"id":2940,"date":"2017-12-12T12:56:24","date_gmt":"2017-12-12T16:56:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ceetar.com\/optimisticmetsfan\/?p=2940"},"modified":"2017-12-12T15:39:06","modified_gmt":"2017-12-12T19:39:06","slug":"neil-walker-mets-2018-free-agent-2b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ceetar.com\/optimisticmetsfan\/2017\/12\/12\/neil-walker-mets-2018-free-agent-2b\/","title":{"rendered":"Neil Walker is the Best"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Mets need another starting infielder, and probably at second base. There have been various options discussed, and some of them are even intriguing, but the more I look at it the more it feels like Neil Walker<\/a> is the best choice for the Mets.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Unless the Mets are going to pull off a Brian Dozier<\/a> trade, something they might not have the right prospects\/pieces for, Neil Walker is actually one of the better second basemen. His wRC+ of 114 was 8th best last year of second basemen with at least 400 PA, behind guys mostly unavailable. He moves up to 6th if you include 2016. His defense has been solid and he\u2019s got an excellent walk rate which is something the Mets need to mix in to balance against players like Flores, Rosario, Lagares and d\u2019Arnaud who have a poor BB%. This is also an argument for getting Brandon Nimmo<\/a> plenty of playing time, but let\u2019s save that for another time. He also doesn’t require the Mets to expend any prospect resources to acquire him.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Of course, health is one of the concerns. He\u2019s 29th in plate appearances among second basemen over the last two years, and you\u2019d like a little more than that. Though he was still 11th most valuable according to fWAR, so even if he\u2019s going to get a DL trip or two, you\u2019re still getting your money\u2019s worth, especially if you have competent backups that can hold down the fort, like Wilmer Flores<\/a>. All players are somewhat of an injury risk, and it\u2019s hard to say Walker would be more prone to one in 2018 than any of the other options the Mets might pursue. It\u2019s possibly that these are signs that Walker\u2019s body is breaking down with age, but it\u2019s also possible they\u2019re outliers and he\u2019ll play 140 or more in 2018. Since he\u2019s been here, the Mets have a good idea about his physical shape and medical records. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tim Dierkes at MLB Trade Rumors predicted two years, twenty million for Walker, which is only a smidge above what the Mets paid for him last year. The banter from Heyman, et al, is that he\u2019s looking for a four year deal, but there might not actually be a market for that. Even at three years for 10-12 per Walker is probably a good sign for the Mets, somewhere he\u2019s already played and been comfortable and successful. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There are a few teams looking for a second basemen, but not a ton, and no one seems to be beating down Walker\u2019s door at the moment. He\u2019s not a sexy pick for the Mets, as there seems to to be some reluctance to return parts of the same 2017 team that underperformed, but Walker was a part of the successful 2016 club as well, and he\u2019s definitely one of the better players for a position the Mets have a clear need at. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Mets need another starting infielder, and probably at second base. There have been various options discussed, and some of them are even intriguing, but the more I look at it the more it feels like Neil Walker is the best choice for the Mets. Unless the Mets are going to pull off a Brian … <\/p>\n

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