Just Mets

As the Mets continue to search for offense, one name who continues to crop up is retiring Brewers 3B Aramis Ramirez.

The Mets were weighing the opportunity to acquire Ramirez in early June, reported Marc Carig of Newsday, although Adam Rubin of ESPN New York said at the time it was unlikely the Mets would acquire Ramirez due to his diminished skill set and the inability to move Ramirez should David Wright return this season.

But now, it appears less likely Wright will return in the near-term, which could result in the Mets acquiring a static third baseman. Sandy Alderson has said over the last month they would consider doing so in light of the growing uncertainty Wright will return in 2015.

However, after their series with the Brewers in Milwaukee in mid-June, team officials came away unimpressed with Ramirez, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, further reducing the chances the Mets make a formal bid to the Brewers.

That apparently hasn’t completely disinterested the Mets, as they continue to discuss trade scenarios involving both Ramirez and SS Jean Segura, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports said on Friday.

Ramirez is not an ideal fit at all. He’s retiring, he’s a static player, and while he’s historically been a better second half player, who knows how much he has left in the tank at this point in his career (although he was named NL Player of the Week last week).

He’s owed about $8-9 million, so that can be a significant gamble for the team to take, especially if he continues to be unproductive. Unfortunately, the Mets may have to assume some risk and take a chance in order to get better, whether it’s a risk taken in Ramirez or another bat. But as Sherman said, Ramirez looked pretty diminished when the Mets faced the Brewers last week, making it clear the risk might outweigh the reward in this case.

The reality is, the Mets may already have their interim third baseman in Daniel Murphy. It’s his best position, so if the Mets go and get Ramirez or another third baseman, they would have to shift Murphy back to second and Wilmer Flores back to shortstop, a situation which has been proven to be unpassable for any duration.

Perhaps the Mets could consider finding a versatile middle infielder, maybe going out and finding an outfielder instead, or someone who could do both, such as the A’s Ben Zobrist.

As for Segura, he got off to a decent start although he was recently sidelined with a minor injury and has been pretty cold at the plate since returning. He doesn’t have much power but has speed and makes a lot of contact. He’d probably be a good fit for Citi Field and would give the lineup an element of speed they simply don’t have, even when everyone is healthy.

Segura could immediately be installed at shortstop, although he isn’t a particularly good defensive player. But that would relegate Ruben Tejada to the bench, where he probably belongs anyway.

Segura certainly makes more sense than Ramirez at this point. He’s younger, more athletic, and certainly comes with a higher upside than Ramirez, who career is more or less over at this point. But it’s also fair to wonder if Segura is an upgrade or a starting player himself right now. Certainly, the Mets don’t need another player who is good at a couple of things only.

Of course, given the state of the Mets offense, it’s hard to deny anything wouldn’t be an improvement right now…

Ramirez, 37, has hit just .236/.280/.424 with ten home runs and 39 RBI in 250 plate appearances over 73 games this season.

Segura, 25, is hitting .267/.299/.343 with three home runs and 24 RBI in 292 plate appearances over 70 games this season.