Mets Go Cheap, Sign Mediocre De Aza

The Mets have a very simple formula. Inspite of tremendous on-the-field success last season they will stay to their guns of not spending much money on free agents in the offseason. Tuesday the Mets made the curious decision to sign journeyman outfielder Alejandro De Aza to a one year, $4.5 million deal.

Why? I have no idea. This is a signing that reeks of the Wilpon's and their cheap ways. Remember Chris Young a couple years ago? How about John Mayberry Jr. last off-season? De Aza is not an upgrade, even though the Mets will trump this as the beginning of a platoon situation in centerfield between De Aza and the light hitting, and severely overpaid Juan Lagares.

This is a total shame. De Aza has never hit better than .281 in a season, and hasn't hit more than 17 homers in a season, which he did back in 2013 for the Chicago White Sox. He's average, in fact, maybe more like below average offensively. How is this a benefit to a team desperately in need of a power bat? The team passed on Denard Span, who, while not a power hitter, would have given the Mets a legit lead-off hitter that would have moved both Curtis Granderson and David Wright down in the order. What about Yoenis Cespedes? Why bother asking. If they aren't willing to pay Span why would they break the bank for Cespedes?

Furthermore another crippling article about the Wilpon's financial problems has surfaced on the news site Vocativ.com in an article by Howard Megdal that details how the Mets are still paying off their debts and creditors from the Bernie Madoff fiasco, almost 10 years after the fact.