Mets, Neil Walker waiting to talk contract
By Adam Mankuta
According to Ken Rosenthal, the Mets and second basemen Neil Walker are unlikely to discuss a contract extension until the end of the season.
After a very successful first season in Flushing which saw Walker hit .282 with 23 home runs and a solid .347 on-base percentage, 2017 has been a struggle. Walker’s average is down to .248 with only four home runs entering play on Monday.
The Mets will have to evaluate second base, a position that once was locked down by Daniel Murphy. Murphy has been great for the Washington Nationals. New York also dealt top prospect Dilson Herrera away as part of the Jay Bruce trade in 2016.
General manager Sandy Alderson has to decide where to spend in free agency. There may be internal options in Wilmer Flores or T.J. Rivera. With Walker making over $17 million for 2017, he might price himself out of a notoriously frugal organization with a better second half.
One other interesting scenario would be re-signing Jose Reyes or Asdrubal Cabrera to play shortstop next season and bringing up top prospect Amed Rosario to play second base. However, the Mets could want to go with the youth movement at shortstop, save some money and find a more budget-friendly second basemen via free agency. This would save some coin and help and extend the likes of Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom.
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From a fantasy baseball perspective, expect Walker to start to heat up as the weather heats up. With the likely return of Yoenis Cespedes within the next 2-3 weeks, he will see more pitches to hit and produce in a more well-rounded lineup. While he may not approach the .280+ average from 2016, his home run total should still approach the 15-18 range. A solid middle infield option in all league formats.