The composition of the New York Mets’ outfield for the next campaign has been decided.
Brandon Nimmo will be moved to left field as Harrison Bader is expected to be the team’s starting center fielder, according to first-year Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.
On a one-year, $10.5 million contract, the Mets signed Bader this winter, and when healthy, he is statistically the best defensive center fielder in baseball. However, since the beginning of the 2021 season, he has missed 199 games due to a variety of injuries.
For the duration of the 162 game season, center field is also a physically taxing position for the lower body. For this reason, Nimmo said he is confident that switching to the left will improve his health this year. Regretfully, if Bader gets hurt again, he will have to play center field every day.
However, adding Bader to the team theoretically strengthens the Mets’ outfield defense and middle infield defense with a Gold Glove quality shortstop. Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil at second base, and Francisco Alvarez at catcher
Because Bader has demonstrated pop when he stays on the field in the past, the Mets need his health in order to bolster their offensive line. For instance, Bader’s five home runs during the Yankees’ postseason back in 2022 had a significant impact on the offensive of the Bronx Bombers.
David Stearns, the president of baseball operations for the Mets, has stated that he is pleased with the team he has assembled and is eager to see what his young players can do. They need some productivity from Bader because he is the only exterior face that will be in the starting lineup every day. However, he is a significant improvement on defense, so it is understandable why the Mets are letting him start at center and switching Nimmo to left.