Adam Duvall Could Help Round Out New York Mets' Outfield
The New York Mets have been one of the most active teams on the market this winter.
So far, Steve Cohen and co. have committed upwards of $460 million in new contracts this offseason, while the payroll for the 2023 season could perhaps reach close to $400 million when all is said and done.
When all is said in done is the key phrase, as the Mets have a few more holes to plug before they report to Port St. Lucie.
Apart from tying together some loose ends out in the bullpen, the Mets could benefit from rounding out their offense as well. One in area in particular is the outfield, and a player who could fit in nicely with this bunch is Adam Duvall.
Duvall, 34, spent the 2022 season with the Atlanta Braves and was worth 0.9 fWAR in 86 games and had a triple slash of .213/.276/.401.
While his batting line is nothing to write home about, Duvall brings some power to the dish, and could give the Mets another outfielder who can split time at the designated hitter position with Daniel Vogelbach.
When Brandon Nimmo re-signed with the Mets last week, the team's starting outfield was more or less set. However, with Tyler Naquin a free agent, the team has a need for a backup outfielder.
Duvall can play all three outfield positions and isn't far removed from being a strong defender. In 2021, the 34-year-old had 19 defensive runs saved combined across all outfield positions (1,150 innings).
In 2022, Duvall's outfielder jump was ranked in the 74th percentile, and his outs above average were in the 88th percentile, so Baseball Savant was still keen on him as a fielder.
While Duvall does strike out a ton (nearly a third of the time he's at the dish for his career), limiting him to just facing left-handed pitchers could help maximize his value to the Mets.
It would be a similar setup to what the Mets did in the second half of 2022 with Vogelbach and Darin Ruf, but bringing in Duvall would make Ruf expendable as a trade piece.
Slated to make just $3 million next year, Ruf could be appealing to a team looking to reclaim some of his value as an offensive contributor.
While the Mets seem likely to be done dishing out monster contracts this winter, bringing in complementary pieces such as Duvall can really help shore up the rest of the roster.
Read More:
- Mets Land Kodai Senga on 5-Year Deal
- Mets Sign David Robertson to 1-Year Deal
- Mets Sign Brandon Nimmo to 8-Year Deal
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