Just Mets

Ben Zobrist and his versatile skill set has long been a fit for the Mets. In addition, his switch-hitting prowess would at least lengthen the Mets lineup against both left-handed and right-handed pitching.

The Mets recognized Zobrist’s skill set as a match to fill their needs. So much so, the Mets have expressed interest in acquiring Zobrist in recent weeks, according to John Harper of the Daily News.

Zobrist checks all the boxes for the Mets. He could start at two positions on the infield right now for the Mets, arguably three. He could also arguably start in two outfield positions. He is a solid hitter who can hit for power, and has playoff experience which came during his years in Tampa Bay.

Last week, Sandy Alderson said at Citi Field he would be willing to overpay in trade under the right circumstances.

As it turns out, Zobrist is one of those circumstances.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post says Alderson’s interests are high enough in the soon-to-be free agent the club would consider an above-market value deal for the super-utility player.

There’s just one problem. As Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported last week, the A’s aren’t rushing to move Zobrist thanks to their recent 12-6 stretch, during which Zobrist has posted a .383/.493/.683 line. And Sherman says for now, A’s GM Billy Beane  is not currently making Zobrist available.

That’s not to say they can’t hold out and wait to see if Zobrist eventually becomes available at an agreeable price. The A’s still have steep hills to climb despite their recent resurgence, and they are likely to regress which could push them further out of their respective races in the next few weeks.

But the A’s were never likely to rush into a deal for Zobrist anyway. Demand is expected to soar for him as the trade deadline approaches (The Nationals, Yankees, and Cubs are among the teams to express interest in addition to the Mets). Whether what Sherman says is true or not, they can probably count on expect one of those bidders to overpay in trade to acquire Zobrist as well. And that is something the Mets have yet to prove they’re willing to play against for Zobrist or anyone else for that matter.