Mets Trade Pitch Brings in $9.25 Million Outfielder to Fix Centerfield Disaster

After an unexpected dream season last year, when they advanced all the way to the National League Championship Series after winning 89 games, the New York Mets are off to a promising start, with victories in eight of their first 12 games. But the positive results have come in spite of a glaring problem at the crucial centerfield position.

The problem is, the Mets don’t have one. So far, the Amazin’s have split the duties between 31-year-old Tyron Taylor and 29-year-old Jose Siri. Heading into the Mets’ three-game set starting Friday against the Athletics in West Sacramento, California, the centerfield duo have only five hits in 43 at-bats between them — for a combined price of $5.43 million in salary this season.

In a Thursday analysis, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report proposed a solution to the Mets’ centerfield issue, and it comes with a famous baseball name: Yastrzemski. Specifically, Mike Yastrzemski of the San Francisco Giants, grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, who played for the Boston Red Sox from 1961 to 1983.

In 1967, “Yaz” as he was known, won the American League Triple Crown — leading in batting average, RBIs and home runs — a feat that wasn’t equaled until Miguel Cabrera topped all three categories in 2012.

In 1971, the Red Sox gave Yaz a three-year contract for $500,000, making him the highest paid player in baseball history at the time. In today’s money, that contract would be worth about $3.9 million.

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His grandson Mike Yastrzemski is now completing a one-year, $9.25 million contract with the Giants and will be a free agent after this season, meaning the Giants can either trade him or — assuming Yastrzemski is not signed to an extension during the season — let him walk for no more than a compensatory draft pick.

Of course, based on their early results, the Giants may be in a position to “go for it,” rather than trade away key players. After 12 games San Francisco is 9-3, one-half game behind the National League West-leading San Diego Padres.

If the Giants decide to deal Yastrzemski, however, the Mets could offer an outfield prospect in return. Carson Benge, currently playing for the High-A level Brooklyn Cyclones, was the Mets’ first-round draft pick last year out of Oklahoma State.

“Benge had some of the best bat-to-ball skills in his Draft class and was able to make contact at a decent clip against virtually every pitch type,” according to an MLB Pipeline scouting report. “His exit velocities were promising as well, and he was able to get that power to play to the opposite field.”

He is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Mets’ No. 3 prospect, and the 98th-ranked prospect in baseball. In his first 13 plate appearances for Brooklyn, Benge has three hits, three walks and four strikeouts.

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