Cheap Ways To Improve The Mets: Outfield

In the outfield, we have a mess, with Beltran owning center, and hopefully coming back from his awful defensive season this year (a UZR/150 of -5.5), but in 08 was good with a UZR/150 of 8.8, in 07 it was .9, and 06 it was 5.7, so it can go either way. Offensively, this year he has swung at 66% of the pitches inside the strike zone, and just 20% of the pitches outside of it.

One thing you have to consider is that this year and in 2007, his two bad UZR/150 seasons, he suffered from knee injuries, this year he was out for about 3 months, and in 2007 after the season he had to undergo surgery. Factoring that in we can consider his 2008 and 2006 seasons flukes. He has always been a patient hitter, and you never lose that, his OBPs over the last couple of seasons have been .388, .353, .376, .420. He has always controlled the strike zone, and causes the pitcher to throw a lot of pitches. Look below at Player A and Player B, it may shock you.

Player A is Carlos Beltran, more triples, more stolen bases, less caught stealing, within 5 points in VORP, and is getting payed 7 million dollars less a year.

So we are set in Center field,  lets look at left.

Angel Pagan is one name that screams out, but look up Franklyn Guttierez's  UZR/150.