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Report: Mets Interested in Brett Lawrie

The Mets are reportedly interested in signing Brett Lawrie, likely as insurance for David Wright at third base. I don’t see why they would bother with him.

brett lawrie
Mets reportedly interested in Brett Lawrie.

The White Sox released Lawrie loose last Friday, just a few months after agreeing to a $3.5 million contract to avoid arbitration. By cutting him now, the Sox will only owe him 30 days of severance pay, or about $575,000. Lawrie spent one year in Chicago, hitting .248 with 12 homers and 36 RBIs in 94 games.

He was with the A’s the prior year, coming over to Oakland in what will go down as the worst trade of our generation — the genius Billy Beane sending Josh Donaldson and three years of team control to Toronto for Lawrie and three minor leaguers. Lawrie, who was supposed to replace Donaldson, lasted one mediocre season. One prospect is still reasonably regarded, but one is a below average pitcher and the third is already gone from the team. Not a great haul for an MVP.

Anyway, Brett Lawrie is not a terrible player. And he is still only 27 years old, so he probably has some decent years left in him. But thus far in his career he hasn’t really shown much and does not project as a better option than Jose Reyes or Wilmer Flores at third or second. So why bother spending a couple of million of dollars on him?

In the end, that’s what it will come down to — money. The Mets are already over their payroll, so it is unlikely they will spend more on an unnecessary piece. ESPN’s Jim Bowden reports in addition to the Mets, the Royals, Rays and Jays are also looking at Lawrie. He’ll end up in one of those towns, but not Flushing.

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