3 Things to Watch in New York Mets' Free Agency

Three things to watch in New York Mets' free agency.

LAS VEGAS - With the official portion of free agency just one day away, where players can discuss contract details with other teams, the Mets are expected to be highly active on the hot stove.

Excluding the potential re-signing of Jacob deGrom, here are three things to watch in the Mets' free agent plans.

Prioritizing Nimmo

The Mets are said to be prioritizing free agent center fielder Brandon Nimmo this offseason. 

General manager Billy Eppler revealed that the Mets have been in touch with Nimmo's camp and he expects there to be strong communication between the two sides all winter. 

According to Nimmo's agent Scott Boras, they've already spoken to a number of teams about the center fielder.

"There are no center fielders in our game that are available," Boras said of Nimmo at GM meetings in Las Vegas. "Then you add leadoff to that, then you add a near .400 on-base percentage to that, he's an excellent leadoff hitter and an excellent defender. And then also he can play in New York."

"When you have those three elements that are there, he becomes a very, very integral part of what we found for a team to win over 100 games. He is a very proven commodity and there are very few that can replace him."

Nimmo, a left-handed center fielder, who bats leadoff is going to be in high demand in free agency. But the Mets have a legitimate desire to retain him.

Pursuit of Rodon

With all the uncertainty surrounding the Mets' pitching staff, which has a number of key free agents hitting the open market, Carlos Rodon could be a name to keep an eye on.

"I assume anyone that wants to win is going to have interest in Carlos Rodon," Boras said.

Rodon, a left-hander, opted out of his deal with the San Francisco Giants after a stellar campaign. The soon-to-be 30-year-old posted a 5.4 bWAR, 14-8 record, 2.88 ERA and 237 strikeouts in 178 innings.

If deGrom winds up leaving, Rodon could be the perfect replacement atop the Mets' rotation next to Max Scherzer.

Involvement in SS market

Francisco Lindor is locked up for nine more years and is an excellent shortstop. But the Mets could still be involved in what is a high-powered free agent shortstop class: Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson and Xander Bogaerts.

According to Mike Mayer of Metsmerized, the Mets really like Turner and could make a run at him this offseason. Turner could potentially play second base or center field if he were to become a Met. Seems more likely of an acquisition if Nimmo leaves.

While Swanson doesn't seem like the best fit, Correa and Bogaerts could possibly play third base, moving Eduardo Escobar to a utility role. But this would block top prospect third baseman Brett Baty, who is close to playing every day in the big leagues. So maybe second base would be where Correa or Bogaerts fit on the Mets.

These top shortstops will be pricey, but if Nimmo and deGrom depart it will free up more money for the Mets to spend big elsewhere.

Read More:

- Jacob deGrom has 'a Good Deal of Interest' in Re-Signing With Mets

- Mets Made Preliminary Contact With Jacob deGrom's Camp

- Biggest Threats to Sign Jacob deGrom Away From Mets

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