Mets and SS Asdrubal Cabrera finalize $18.5M, 2-year deal

The Mets turned their attention toward Walker after losing out on free-agent utilityman Ben Zobrist, who on Tuesday agreed to a four-year, $56 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.

The New York Mets added two key players to the roster, trading for Pittsburgh Pirates’ second baseman Neil Walker and signing free agent shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.

On top of that, the newest Met is a switch-hitter. Cabrera also played for Cleveland and Washington and is a. 267 career hitter.

However, aside from the offensive upgrade over Flores, what Cabrera does is lengthen the lineup and strengthen the bench, which now includes Flores, Kevin Plawecki, Michael Cuddyer, and Ruben Tejada. He batted. 269 with 16 home runs and 71 runs batted in RBIs last season for the Pirates, his hometown team.

Cabrera made $7.5 million with the Tampa Bay Rays and was ranked as the 26th best free agent on the market in October Grant Brisbee, as reported by the SB Nation.

The Mets, as expected, were active players during the week’s meetings, as they attempt to improve a squad looking to avenge its World Series loss to the Kansas City Royals.

John Harper thinks the Mets should have used the money they saved by not signing Zobrist to make a bigger splash than the Cabrera deal.

The Pirates on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015, traded Neil Walker to the New York Mets, ending the Pittsburgh native’s 12-year tenure with the organization. Cabrera could see time at third base to give David Wright days off because of his spinal stenosis.

The Pirates drafted Walker with the 11 pick in the 2004 MLB Draft.

Walker flatly said “no” when asked if he received a long-term offer from the team. Bowman played for Triple-A Las Vegas last season.

“We all saw how capable they are of competing and reaching their goal”, Walker said. Niese will be under contract for three more years.

Niese owns a career 3.91 ERA and is coming off a 2015 campaign in which he posted a 4.13 ERA in 33 games, 29 of which were starts. Walker has historically rated very well at getting to balls hit up the middle and poor at balls hit in the first base-second base hole, though that could be a product of positioning more than skill.

Baseball Info Solutions, which provides defensive data to teams and media charts “Good Fielding Plays” and “Defensive Misplays & Errors”.