New York Mets MLB Trade and Roster Rumors: Team Eyeing Free Agent First Baseman Adrian Gonzalez
Adrian Gonzalez may not be a free agent for long.
ESPN's Buster Olney has reported that the New York Mets have reached out to Gonzalez as they look to add depth at first base.
The Los Angeles Dodgers shipped the veteran first baseman to the Atlanta Braves on Dec. 16 as part of the package for All-Star outfielder Matt Kemp, and he was released by the Braves on Monday.
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The Braves will have to pay Gonzalez $22.4 million in the final year of his contract, but any team that signs him will only be required to pay him the $545,000 major-league minimum.
Gonzalez should give Dominic Smith some competition at first base next season if he joins the team because the Mets don't seem to think their top prospect is ready to be a full-time starter.
"The Mets' interest in the 35-year-old Gonzalez could be viewed as insurance in case Dominic Smith doesn't improve on his 49-game audition at the end of last season that was underwhelming on many levels," the New York Posts' George A. King III wrote in his report.
"Sandy Alderson made it clear that the Mets were not overly impressed with Smith, who arrived in the major leagues out of shape last August, and that he was not guaranteed the starting first base job this spring," Kristie Ackert said in her report for the New York Daily News.
Well, the Mets will have to make sure they don't stunt Smith's growth if they bring in Gonzalez. In any case, the five-time All-Star can be a stopgap at first base for the Mets if they want to give Smith more time to develop.
Gonzalez posted a 0.242/0.287/0.355 slash line last season, and he also had 30 runs batted in and three home runs in 252 plate appearances. He was limited to just 71 games last season due to a herniated disk in his back.
