Mets Linked To Blue Jays Star Slugger In Free Agency; Could Move Be Coming Shortly?

Could the Mets actually land the Blue Jays star this offseason in free agency?

The New York Mets could use a new third baseman this offseason.

New York has plenty of roster space and could use an upgrade in the middle of the lineup. The Mets do have young infielder Brett Baty on the roster and he could see a lot of time at the hot corner but it would also help to bring a veteran in. One player who could make sense is Toronto Blue Jays star Matt Chapman, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. 

"Third base was a black hole for the Mets in 2023, as eight players combined for a .590 OPS (last in the NL) and -9 outs above average (next-to-last)," Feinsand said. "Youngsters Brett Baty and Mark Vientos could get another shot (as could Ronny Mauricio, the team’s No. 4 prospect), but the Mets could also turn to the free-agent market and give Chapman -- whose 3.5 fWAR was miles ahead of the Mets’ cumulative -2.6 fWAR at third base last season -- a look."

Chapman would be a major upgrade for the Mets. The 30-year-old has been one of the best third basemen in baseball over the seven seasons. Chapman is a one-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove Award winner, including in 2023 with the Blue Jays. New York certainly has the money to spend and landing Chapman would be a very solid move to improve the middle of the lineup. The Mets are focused right now on pitching -- namely Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto -- but if they miss out, landing Chapman would make sense.