Tag Archives: Jed Lowrie

Mets Looking To Package Jed Lowrie and Dominic Smith In Trade

4 Jan

Jed Lowrie
CBSSports.com:

The Mets are shopping infielder Jed Lowrie and first baseman Dominic Smith in a package deal, reports Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Lowrie, who was limited to seven at-bats by injury in 2019, has $12 million remaining on his contract. Smith is capital B-Blocked by Pete Alonso at first base. New York is hoping to convince a team to take on Lowrie’s salary to get Smith’s promising bat.

Last month we looked at 10 teams that could capitalize on a Lowrie/Smith package deal, several of which have since made moves to upgrade their infield. The Rangers have uncertainty at the two corner infield positions and stand out as a candidate to plug Lowrie in at third base in 2020 and install Smith as their first baseman of the future. It’s unclear whether the two sides have talked.

Lowrie never made any sense picking up in the 1st place and Smith has enough talent where he could start at 1st base for most teams. You’re telling me that the Mets can’t get say a starting center-fielder for these two?

Jeff McNeil In The Outfield???

15 Jan

Jeff McNeil
SNY.TV:

The Mets acquisition of infielder Jed Lowrie on a two-year, $20 million deal that is still pending a physical crowds their infield, and has the potential to squeeze Jeff McNeil’s playing time.

As a solution, the Mets plan to use McNeil in the outfield in 2019, according to a person familiar with the plans.

At the beginning of the offseason, McNeil was pencilled in as the starting second baseman. He was nearly shipped to Seattle in the Robinson Cano/Edwin Diaz trade, but the Mets pulled him out of that deal at the last minute, and replaced him with reliever Gerson Bautista.

At that point, the team saw McNeil as a super-utility type, Wilmer Flores with better defense. But Lowrie will now play that role. The team still sees great potential in McNeil’s bat, however, so it plans to use him both in the infield and outfield next year. With that additional option, Mickey Callaway should be able to find more playing time for McNeil.

McNeil played nine games in the outfield in his minor league career, for a total of 65 ½ innings. But the team believes that he has the speed and athleticism to adapt.

Gotta admit, when the Mets penciled in McNeil for the starting 2nd baseman spot in 2019, I was excited. The guy can flat-out hit, he’s gutsy and I thought that he’d make up for Daniel Murphy, who I never wanted to see leave. Then the Mets went after and got Robinson Cano, still have Todd Frazier at 3rd, Amed Rosario at SS, Peter Alonso most likely playing 1st and now Jed Lowrie is on the team as a ‘super-utility’ guy. Oh and let’s not forget TJ Rivera coming back. Would love to pick McNeil’s brain to see what he really thinks about all this, much less now getting ready to play in the outfield.