The New York Mets need players to add to their roster and the Oakland Athletics have been rumored to possibly having interest in trading away shortstop Jed Lowrie. Lowrie is not young, he will be 30 in 2013, but he could be a solid addition as the Mets could use some help up the middle.
Who could the Mets trade?
Before getting to that question, let's look at what Lowrie is worth. Again, as mentioned previously, he is turning 30 at the beginning of the 2014 season. He has made a splash later in his career. He is a guy who can get on base, striking out few times and he proved he could play an entire season.
He played 154 games in 2013, getting 603 at-bats, while hitting posting a .290/.344/.446 triple slash with 15 home runs and 75 RBI. Not bad at all for a shortstop. More importantly, Lowrie can bring his flexibility over to New York, which is key since the Mets are always getting injured. He played a bulk of his games at short (119), but started 24 times at second base. If David Wright gets injured, he could also play some third.
Who to Move?
The Mets have a few options. The A's would probably like Ruben Tejada because he is young (24 years old) and he is eligible for arbitration until the 2018 season. The other guy who would make more sense and would be a balanced deal, though removing versatility from the Mets' lineup is Daniel Murphy.
Murphy is more logical because he and Lowrie are receiving similar salaries. In 2013, Lowrie made $2.4 million, while Murphy made $2.9 million. Murphy can play first and second base and is coming off his best season yet, hitting 13 home runs with 78 RBI and 23 stolen bases. He is a career .290 hitter with a .333 on-base percentage.
Granted, Murphy is a popular met, he will be turning 29 in 2014. The Mets could save some bucks, though they might have to forfeit a prospect, being that Billy Beane is always after young talent that usually goes to waste.
Lowrie came up with the Boston Red Sox, meaning he would be able to handle the New York press and pressure just fine. He also has plenty of playoff experience, making postseason appearances with the Red Sox and most recently with the 2013 A's.