On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Rays decided to trade away Jose Siri to the New York Mets. The Met’s, in turn, gave the Rays Eric Orze. The Rays have turned the page while the New York Mets dominate the offseason. What does this mean for New York?
What Does the Jose Siri Trade Mean?
Bye Bye, Bader!
Harrison Bader was an okay player for the Mets while he lasted. He hit 12 homers with a .236 average and 51 runs driven in through 143 games. He also provided New York with some excellent defense. Bader had his best season since 2021 and certainly had highlight reel moments. However, this came at a price the Met’s couldn’t afford. Bader was signed for a 1-year 10.5 million dollar following the 2023 season, and as Bader enters free agency, he may ask for an even higher price after a good season. With all eyes on Juan Soto and retaining Pete Alonso this offseason, the Mets would rather explore a different option in center field.
The Met’s trade for Jose Siri means that Bader will likely sign elsewhere. Siri had the highest swing and a miss rate in the MLB, along with an abysmal .187 average in 2024. However, Siri still plays great defense along with some considerable power; add on the fact that Siri will cost just 2.5 million in 2025, and the Mets made a surprising but good move. Also, Siri hasn’t been surrounded by a good lineup yet. Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Mark Vientos, and maybe even Pete Alonso and Juan Soto will significantly influence Siri, who has superstar potential. The Mets can fix issues, and if Siri can revert to 2023 form, where he hit 25 homers in 101 games then the Met’s lineup is insanely terrifying for opposing pitchers.
The Projected Lineup Thus Far?
In one of my earlier articles, I projected what the Mets’ lineup and team should look like—a trade for Luis Robert Jr. was suggested. With Siri, the Mets now have a center fielder, which likely fills a position the Mets needed to fill. The trade feels almost just as good as a trade for Robert Jr., not only because Siri has some serious similarities but also because the Mets gave only Eric Orze in return. Orze is already 27 years old and probably wouldn’t have seen much pitching for the Mets in 2025. Here is my projected lineup now with each player’s career-high home run number:
- Francisco Lindor, SS, 38 HR
- Juan Soto, RF, 41 HR
- Mark Vientos, 3B, 27 HR
- Pete Alonso, 1B, 53 HR
- Brandon Nimmo, LF, 24 HR
- Starling Marte, DH, 23 HR
- Jose Siri, CF, 25 HR
- Francisco Alvarez, C, 25 HR
- Luisangel Acuna, 2B, 3 HR
This shows the powerful potential of the lineup, which, like 2024, would be centered more around power than batting average. Of course, most of these players aren’t going to have a career-high amount of homers in 2025. However, the demonstration shows that Siri would be a great addition. The hope is that both Soto and Alonso get signed, which should be New York’s top priority.
The Met’s resulting lineup is improved by the Met’s surprising addition. The addition also means New York is no longer in need of a center fielder. The Met’s lineup might drastically improve in 2025.
Main Image: © David Richard-Imagn Images
