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New York Mets Rumors: Nick Markakis Is Not A Good Fit

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By @BZarp

Nick Markakis

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The baseball offseason has yet to officially begin, but there are already outfielders being named as potential free agent targets for the New York Mets. One of the first names to come out is Baltimore Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis. The Mets do need to add an outfielder at some point this offseason, and Markakis may be one of the best available; but he is not a great fit for the Mets and should not be one of their top targets this offseason.

To be fair, adding Markakis wouldn’t be the worst move the Mets could make. He was born on Long Island, so coming to New York would be a bit of homecoming for him. He also has a history of providing the kind of high on-base percentage that GM Sandy Alderson covets, which could make him a candidate to hit leadoff, a need the Mets have this offseason. He’s also known to be patient at the plate, which fits the Mets’ philosophy.

However, while there are some positives, there are also plenty of negatives. For instance, Markakis doesn’t necessarily have the power the Mets are looking to add to their lineup this offseason. He is also a subpar defensive player, and the Mets should be looking for someone who is at least average defensively. The addition of Markakis could also make the Mets too left-handed heavy, as the starting lineup already includes lefties Lucas Duda, Curtis Granderson and Daniel Murphy, with lefties Matt den Dekker and Kirk Nieuwenhuis likely to be reserve outfielders on the Mets’ bench.

Then there’s the issue of what it will cost to sign Markakis. Even though Baltimore declined his option for next year, if they make Markakis a qualifying offer, the Mets would have to give up next year’s first-round draft pick to sign him, and Markakis isn’t necessarily the caliber of player worth that sacrifice. On top of that, the Mets would likely need to commit a substantial amount of money to Markakis, and despite a few good seasons in Baltimore, he may not be worth that kind of money at this point in his career.

Moreover, it would not make sense for the Mets to guarantee any more than two years to sign Markakis with outfield prospect Brandon Nimmo likely to reach the big leagues at some point in 2015 and 2014 draftee Michael Conforto expected to reach the big leagues relatively quickly.

When all is said and done, the Mets need a right-handed outfielder whose main attribute is power, and that is simply not Markakis. It may be tempting to take a chance on a player like him, who grinds out at-bats and finds a way to get on base, especially with the need the Mets have in the leadoff spot. But Markakis doesn’t come close to fitting what the Mets need, and he should not be given serious consideration as a potential free agent signing.

Bryan Zarpentine is a New York Mets writer at www.RantSports.com.  Like him on Facebook, follow him on twitter @BZarp and add him on Google.

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