After top first base prospect Dominic Smith‘s poor first major league showing last year, the Mets entered this offseason with a clear plan to hedge their bets at first base. Jay Bruce was added with the idea that he could play the position if needed, and Wilmer Flores and Todd Frazier also offer flexibility at the position. But the Mets decided, before signing Frazier, that still wasn’t enough and opted to ink veteran Adrian Gonzalez to a one-year deal for the major league minimum.
It’s probably worth it to recap how Gonzalez, once one of the game’s most prolific hitters, has gotten to this point.