Crawford or Werth?
The Mets right field situation isn’t getting better anytime soon. Presumably, they’ll have a hole to fill in the offseason. The Amazins’ can convince themselves they need a big free agent if they finish near the top of the NL West. Carl Crawford and Jason Werth are going to be the two best free agent outfielders on the market. They’ll both command similar contracts.
Who would you sign…Crawford or Werth?
I’d go with Crawford if I were running the Mets. Yes, I know he’s a left fielder and the Mets need a right fielder, but the transistion isn’t so extreme. It’s not like the Mets are asking him to play shortstop if they sign him. What I see in Crawford is someone who hits over .300 every season like clockwork, steals a ton of bases and doesn’t kill your team with strikeouts.
No, Crawford isn’t the middle of the lineup force that you expect from a guy who will make between 17-19$ million per season, but the one ability that separates him (his speed) won’t truly fade for another three years. Crawford would be fast on any baseball field. Put him with Reyes and you have an insanely quick 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup. Crawford would be a triple hitting machine in Citi Field. He has the ability to extend innings and make opposing pitchers work harder when he’s on base.
It’s not that I hate Jason Werth. I actually love Werth’s quick bat and work ethic. The problem I have is that Werth isn’t a power hitter. Yes, he hits home runs, but that’s in a favorable home ballpark and his home run distances are something of a problem. He tends to hit his dingers jussssst over the wall, which leads me to believe that he wouldn’t be a perfect match for Citi Field.
Werth, however, would be a perfect fit for Yankee Stadium.
Both guys are going to get seriously paid and both might be $100 million richer by the time this all ends. I’m just saying, for the Mets, Carl Crawford would be my pick.
