The Mets are prioritizing starting pitching as the trade deadline approaches, but as acting general manager Zack Scott reiterated on his appearance with Carton & Roberts on Wednesday, all potential upgrades are being explored.
That includes the infield, where there are questions around the hot corner as uncertainty about J.D. Davis’ time at third base lingers. Kris Bryant has long been seen as a potential fit, dating back to the offseason, and with the Cubs in sell mode, Bryant would be a clear upgrade in the infield. But that doesn’t mean Scott is out on Davis.
“I love J.D. Davis,” Scott said. “He hits. We hear about a lot of third base options publicly, but you have to look at what he’s done from a production standpoint and it’s just as good. We love the bat, and we know the defense has been a work in progress. He’s worked really hard on it all year, and he’s had some mistakes, but it’s not from lack of effort. I think he’s a really valuable guy for our team.”
Davis has been asked to play outfield at times to capitalize on versatility while also managing his defensive deficiencies at third base, but the offense has been prevalent. In 26 games this season (Davis missed significant time due to a finger injury), the 28-year-old is hitting .342 with a 1.011 OPS and four home runs. Still, he has been seen as a potential trade chip, specifically for Bryant, and Scott said the Mets are open to any options, even if there isn’t an obvious fit at first glance.
“A lot of the reports in general are overblown, I think it’s more speculation than based on actual information,” Scott said. “Kris Bryant is a really good player, and we have to be in on good players –we’re the New York Mets, we have to be in on anyone who can make an impact. Maybe the pieces of the puzzle don’t seem obvious how they fit, but we have to be open-minded on the ways we can improve our team.”
One seemingly unorthodox fit would be Bryant’s teammate Javier Baez. The shortstop publicly said on Tuesday that he would want to play alongside Francisco Lindor, and would be open to moving to second base if it was with Lindor and the Mets. Lindor is currently out with an oblique injury, and a trade for Baez would mean the Mets had a shortstop to fill in and then shift over when Lindor returned, and while that would make for a dynamic infield, there is no indication that such a deal would be made, though Scott won’t rule anything out.
“We’ve definitely talked to some teams about guys who could fit and fill in while Francisco is out, and then have the versatility to move around, so that’s something we’ve explored and is definitely a possibility,” Scott said.
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