Could the Phillies Sign One Of These ‘Met-Killing’ Free Agents?

MLB: JUL 23 Braves at Mets
July 23, 2013: Atlanta Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons (19) grounds out to short to end the Braves 4-1 loss to the New York Mets at Citi Field in Flushing, NY.

This is not a drill. The New York Mets landed Francisco Lindor. At the moment, they can no longer be considered a joke to Phillies fans.

Right now, the Phillies are a joke. Without JT Realmuto or relief help, the Phillies are looking at 4th or 5th place. Realmuto would certainly help the Phillies battle the Mets.

JT Realmuto has hit the Mets well in his a real. His slash line of .300/.337/.469 should make any Met pitcher worry.

Although impressive, Realmuto isn’t exactly a Met Killer and that’s exactly what the Phillies need. Like Cody Ross and Ryan Braun have destroyed the Phillies in the past, there are currently 10 players on the free agent market that have burnt down Flushing in their careers.

For reference, a certified ‘Met Killer’ must have played at least 10 career games against them and posted numbers that would make any manager giddy.

Phillies Options:

Albert Almora

The name Albert Almora usually won’t strike fear into any pitching staff. An 84 career OPS+ basically ensures that.

Unless you’re the Mets of course.

Against the Amazin’s, Almora has never been better. In 63 career plate appearances, he’s slashed .356/.397/.508. The only team he’s hit harder is the Nationals (a bonus) with a .949 OPS.

Phillies’ Fit

Almora also plays a solid center field and is relatively young at just under 27. He’d actually fit on the Phillies’ roster without a DH. He was terrible in 2020 in limited action, hitting only .167.

Hey, a Met killer on a budget works just as well.

Matt Kemp

From relatively young, we go to pretty old. The rightful 2011 MVP could still have a bit left in the tank. In 2020, Kemp posted a respectable .745 OPS in his age 36 season.

More importantly, he has a long storied career of steadily hitting the Mets. He’s played 89 games against the Mets, a large sample size. In that span, he’s hit .319 with a .514 slugging percentage. He’d barely fit with the Phillies and only as a 5th outfielder.

Eduardo Núñez

Eduardo Núñez is a career -0.4 WAR player. He has a cumulative -8.4 dWAR. He’ll be playing his age 34 season in 2021.

He also destroys the Mets.

Now, Núñez just meets our lofty requirements, playing 10 games against the Mets. In his 39 at bats, he’s OWNED the Mets. Call him Steve Cohen. Hitting .410, he’s earned that nickname. He’s also slugged .667.

Phillies fit

He doesn’t perfectly fit the Phillies, but he’s a guy who could be brought in on a minor league contract. Try him out in Spring Training and let’s see what happens.

C.J. Cron

Another player who barely makes this list is C.J. Cron. He’s played 10 games against the Mets, starting 7. His .321 batting average is very good, but his OPS is what makes Cron a Met killer.

His 1.030 OPS is the highest against any team he’s faced over 10 times. Five of his 9 hits against the Mets have gone for extra bases.

Phillies Fit

He hit only .190 but somehow had a .894 OPS in 2020. His career 111 OPS+ doesn’t fit on the Phillies outside of him being a DH.

Jose Martinez

Another DH only option is Jose Martinez. Unlike Cron, he was pretty awful in 2020. He hit .182 and slugged .295.

Historically against the Mets is a different story. Martinez has slashed .340/.436/.574 against them. He’s had a higher OPS against 2 other teams, but he’s only played 3 games against both of them. He’s played 14 games opposite the Mets.

Phillies Fit:

Without the DH, Martinez is essentially useless for the Phillies. Sorry Jose.

Daniel Murphy

It’s been a while since Daniel Murphy ravaged the NL East. With the Mets, he hit .288 over the course of 7 years. He led them to the 2015 World Series almost singlehandedly, winning the NLCS MVP. With the Nationals, Murphy messed around and almost won an MVP. He hit .329 with a .930 OPS in 3 years in our nation’s capitol.

He found some revenge on the Mets after they let him go as he became a Met killer. You hate to see it. In 52 against them, Murphy slashed .355/.411/.650, all better numbers than the year he was runner-up in the MVP race.

Phillies’ Fit:

Being mostly a first baseman now, Murphy really has no fit on the Phillies, but hey, at least he kills the Mets.

Marwin Gonzalez

Marwin Gonzalez will most likely go down in history for only one thing: the 2017 Astros cheating scandal. He’s had just one season with an OPS over .759. I’ll give you a second to guess what year that was.

Naturally, it was 2017 when he recorded a .907 OPS. Things that make you go “hmmmmmmm”.

Besides benefitting from the biggest cheating scandal in MLB history, Marwin could also be referred to as a Met Killer.

Phillies’ Fit:

He, too, barely makes the cut, playing just 10 games against the Mets. In those 10 games, he’s slashed .324/.361/.471. As a utility man, he could fit on the Phillies in theory. His recent years in Minnesota, however, have not inspired confidence, posting an 87 OPS+ in his 2 years there.

Phillies’ Most Sensible Option- Andrelton Simmons

Hey, look! A player the Phillies could actually use to fill a gaping hole in their lineup. I knew we’d find one eventually.

Since his days as an Atlanta Brave, Simmons has been one of the premier defensive players in all of Major League Baseball. The 4X Rawlings Gold Glove award winner isn’t just a fielding machine. He hits for average and barely strikes out.

Most importantly, he kills the Mets. For his career, he has a .333 batting average and a .833 OPS. While he’s hit other teams harder, getting a hit a 1/3 of the time easily qualifies Simmons, especially over 243 AB.

Simmons makes a ton of sense for the Phils. He’d be cheaper than bringing back Didi while also being a defensive upgrade. Zach Wheeler induced 13 double plays in 2020. Now, imagine Andrelton Simmons at shortstop. What a beautiful thought.

Mandatory Photo Credit: Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire