2021 NY Mets: Out on Jackie Bradley Jr.

According to Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News, sources have told her the New York Mets are indeed out on former Boston Red Sox Gold Glove center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. after the pending signing of Almora this morning.

It had been reported earlier this week, by Ken Davidoff and Joel Sherman of the New York Post, that the Mets may intensify their efforts to bring JBJ to Flushing after missing out on Trevor Bauer to the Dodgers.

The Post"s Mike Puma also reported earlier this morning that the Mets have been aggressive on Bradley, and the Almora signing didn’t necessarily mean they were out on the 30-year old Gold Glove outfielder.

However, not too much later Joe Pantorno of amNewYork confirmed Deesha’s report of the Mets being out of the JBJ sweepstakes.

MLB Trade Rumors predicted Bradley would receive a deal worth around $16 million over two years, however, multiple reports have speculated the Scott Boras client is seeking a four or five-year deal.

The other teams that are seen as a fit and have shown interest in JBJ are the Red Sox, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, and Colorado Rockies.

What This Means for the 2021 NY Mets

Since top free-agent outfielder George Springer signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, Bradley has been viewed by many as the next best fit for the 2021 NY Mets.

While his bat leaves much to be desired, there"s no denying the defense-first, natural center fielder would"ve drastically improved the Mets outfield defense. Add JBJ to the additions of Francisco Lindor and James McCann, and the Mets could"ve been looking at their best up-the-middle defense in a long-time.

However, with no designated hitter, the left-handed-hitting Bradley is viewed as less of a fit. As currently constructed, the Mets lineup is extremely lefty-heavy.

Moving forward, it seems as if the Mets are prepared to send out a starting outfield of Dominic Smith, Brandon Nimmo, and Michael Conforto with Almora as a fourth outfielder. 

While this group is very solid offensively, Nimmo in center and Smith in left, is very ugly defensively.

So, What"s Next for the 2021 NY Mets?

Mets Team President Sandy Alderson showed his hand with the significant Bauer offer, so there is no denying they still have money to spend this offseason.

IMO, after settling for Almora, it seems like they will pivot to try and make a splash to upgrade from J.D. Davis and Luis Guillorme at third base. On the trade market some names to think about are Kris Bryant and Eugenio Suarez, and in free agency, a reunion with Justin Turner could make sense.

Joe Pantorno added with his confirmation of Deesha Thosar"s report, that a source told him from their vantage point the Mets’ focus on the free-agent front is on both pitching and bench depth.

Some free-agent starting pitching targets to keep an eye on are James Paxton, Taijuan Walker, and Jake Odorizzi. The Mets have also recently been tied to both Rich Hill and Jake Arrieta, but both certainly come with their fair share of risks.

In the bullpen Trevor Rosenthal could be a guy to watch, he broke out last season and has posted good numbers against both righties and lefties. Shane Greene, Jeremy Jeffries, Justin Wilson, and Jake McGee are also a few interesting potential low-cost options.

As far as the bench goes, Marwin Gonzalez was connected to the Mets last week by MLB.com"s Anthony Dicomo. Other than that, there isn"t much else of interest available on the market.

We shall see soon enough where the Mets decide to go. One thing we do know for sure, they are certainly not done adding.

Keep it peeled to OTH for the latest 2021 NY Mets and MLB Breaking News as we draw closer and closer to Spring Training.

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