SAN DIEGO – The Mets are among the teams talking to free agent Andrew Benintendi, according to The Post.
The Yankees would love to be reunited with Benintendi, and he would be a much more natural fit with either them or the Astros or any number of other clubs chasing the left-handed swingman.
For the Mets, the discussions with Benintendi, 28, are an indication that the club is seriously considering life without free agent Brandon Nimmo. To accommodate Benintendi in left field, the Mets would have to move Starling Marte or Mark Canha to center field if Nimmo were to leave. It has never been preferred for their defensive purposes or attrition, especially on Marte.
That could open up other opportunities for the Mets. The Mets could probably add Canha in a trade, or they could still sign a center fielder like Kevin Kiermaier, and Benintendi, Canha, and Marte could rotate between the corner outfield spots and DH. That means making Darin Roof and especially Daniel Vogelbach bench pieces or trade candidates. It could also limit the DH potential for Francisco Alvarez if he establishes himself as a rookie hitter.
Rather, he provides the Mets with positional depth. Buck Showalter has shown that he’d rather make a tough decision every day than not have an alternative in injury time.