From the realm of, “Things I thought I would never ask myself” comes the question, “Should the Mets Consider Victorino?”
Victorino is coming off of a down year compared to his previous years, meaning his value has slightly diminished. He is also 31 and is ready for his next generation contract, so he could demand a good chunk of change, depending on what happens to other similar OF’s like him (Melky Cabrera). There is also serious angst against him in New York, although I feel that would change with a sizable contract.
Reasons for signing Victorino would deal with his style of play. He has a lot of speed, some pop, has led the league twice in triples in the last few years and is a reliable outfielder.
The Mets really do need power, and Victorino is not going to hit a ton of homers, but in a good year he’ll consistently put up about 15. The last three years he has a drop in his average, but his OBP has stayed consistent. The real aspect he brings to the team is speed. He can steal a lot of bases, which the Mes were hoping from Torres but didn’t get. In that respect, Victorino could change the shape of the lineup.
As a disclaimer, I am a believer in stolen bases as an overvalued statistic, but I do believe they are good indicator of speed, something the Mets could use more of, especially in the outfield where the defense was a mess for the majority of year.
The reasons to not sign Victorino deal with the decline in batting average, his lack of above average power and the contract he could demand. Out of those three, the contract will be the largest issue. For the Mets, it isn’t just related to the money issue but the time. This team is going to be flush with young talent in 2014-15. At that time this team will need good veterans that are just leaders but producers.
What do you all think about Victorino putting on the Orange and Blue?
