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By Drew VonScio
Contributing Sports Writer
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The New York Mets have made it very clear this offseason that their priority is to get better defensively. When the organization is repeatedly told by high-ranking executives that the defense wasn't good enough, that's a major problem.
It's why, despite the fanbase's pleas, David Stearns did not see Pete Alonso as a focal point of the offseason plan. It's why Marcus Semien was brought into the infield along with Jorge Polanco being signed.
The Mets are reportedly now one of the teams heavily involved in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes as spring training nears. However, insider Ken Rosenthal doesn't necessarily know if he is a good fit for the Mets.
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"Tucker, who turns 29 on Saturday, surely would deepen the Mets’ lineup," Rosenthal wrote for The Athletic. "But he has since declined in right field, and according to Outs Above Average, was a worse defensive outfielder last season than Brandon Nimmo. By the same metric, the Mets’ current $51 million per year man, Juan Soto, was the worst defensive right fielder in the game. If the Mets sign Tucker, either he or Soto will need to move from right to left field. Perhaps the Mets could get more defensively out of both, to the point where they are at least average. But Tucker would be a curious choice for a team supposedly hellbent on improving its defense."
Rosenthal's analysis makes sense. If Tucker isn't a strong defender and defense is the focus of the offseason, why sign him when Cody Bellinger is right there? Getting improved defense from Soto is going to be a big enough task much less asking for steps forward from both outfielders.
If the Mets do decide to go forward with pursuing Tucker and manage to land a deal, Stearns would have a lot of questions to answer with being counterintuitive to his own philosophy.
Signing a superstar like Tucker would have its advantages, but that doesn't mean it would make sense for a team that has centered its offseason around a common identity.
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