Before the Mets acquired Kelly Johnson from Atlanta last week, they reached out to the Athletics to inquire about Danny Valencia.
Now, with David Wright officially undergoing surgery that will very likely end his season, the Mets still possess a need for a player like Valencia, 31, whose righty bat and versatility would seem to fit well in light of Wright’s absence as well as complement the lefty-hitting Johnson.
Two key differences exist between the availability of Johnson and that of Valencia, and those explain why Johnson is now a Met and Valencia still plays for Oakland:
1.