The New York Mets were hot on the trail of free agent second baseman Ben Zobrist but their efforts fell short when the Chicago Cubs swooped in and snatched him up.
The Mets turned to a plan B but their backup plan might actually end up working out better for the team. They have acquired second baseman Neil Walker from the Pittsburg Pirates for starting pitcher Jon Niese.
Following from the New York Post.
A day after getting snubbed by free agent Ben Zobrist, the Mets plugged their opening at second base by acquiring veteran Neil Walker from the Pirates in exchange for lefty Jon Niese, pending a medical review, The Post’s Joel Sherman confirmed.
The 30-year-old Walker, hit .269 with 16 homers and 71 RBIs last season for his hometown Pirates. Since 2010, Walker is fourth among second baseman with 283 extra base hits but he’s first in the National League in that category. Walker is a switch-hitter who performs better against right-handed pitching. It could mean young infielder Dilson Herrera could be in line to play against some left-handed pitching in 2016. Walker has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining before he hits free agency.
Niese, who has won 61 games for the Mets since 2008, pitched to a 4.13 ERA in 29 starts last season. He was bumped to the bullpen for the postseason, and has no clearly defined role once Zack Wheeler returns this summer to become the No. 5 starter. With Niese now gone, David Wright is the only member of the current Mets roster to play with the home team at Shea Stadium before they moved to Citi Field.
