Acquiring players for a playoff push became a little harder this past season, as there was no longer a waiver trade deadline on Aug. 31.
However, we saw many guys get designated for assignment or released and picked up by other teams hoping to catch lightning in a bottle. The Mets took advantage of this as they picked up reliever Brad Brach as well as infielder Joe Panik.
Panik, 29 later this month, had a rough year with the San Francisco Giants which led to him being cut, but when he came over to the Mets found some success. In 39 games with the Mets, he hit .277/.333/.404 with two home runs and 12 RBI.
As a reserve infielder, Panik did a nice job giving the Mets an option off the bench. Going into 2020 though, the big issue is his contract.
The Yonkers native is slated to receive $5.1 million through arbitration and is likely to be non-tendered. With the Mets payroll already an issue, there’s no way they’re going to dole out over $5 million for a reserve infielder.
But if they can bring back Panik on a new deal, it might be worth it. It would give them a decent contact hitter off the bench, in an area where they struggled in 2019.
In the field, Panik isn’t going to win any Gold Gloves, as he had -3 DRS and a 2.2 UZR this past season in 955.1 innings. He is also limited to just second base. With Robinson Cano, Jeff McNeil and Jed Lowrie also able to play the position, it mitigates the need for Panik. However, if they are able to bring him in on the cheap for next year, it’s not bad to have insurance.
Last month, Panik told Justin Toscano of the Record/North Jersey that he’d love to remain a Met.
“Oh, for sure,” Panik replied when asked if he’d be inclined to stay with the Mets, adding, “It’s been a fun few months for me. Playing in New York; I grew up here and I love the passion here.
“I felt like I’ve played well here. Things will work out one way or another […] Wherever I land, whatever happens, I’m very confident in my abilities.”
Would you like to see the Mets bring back Panik if they could get him on a cost efficient deal?
