According to a report from Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune, the Mets and Orioles "have at least lukewarm interest" in Pirates second baseman Neil Walker. A switch-hitter, Walker had a .756 OPS in 543 at-bats in the 2015 season.
Set to hit free agency after the 2016 season, Walker's name has been floated in trade rumors throughout the offseason. With an arbitration raise from the $8 million he earned in 2015 coming up, Walker would prove to be a moderately expensive rental acquisition. Homegrown through the Pirates organization, the 30-year-old Walker was converted from catching after reaching Double-A in 2006.
Having played just 15 major league games at third base, Walker wouldn't prove to be as versatile an option as free agents Ben Zobrist or Daniel Murphy. But he has hit .272/.338/.431 through seven major league seasons. While his 2016 salary may prove too rich for the Mets' taste, his one-year deal would allow further development time for Dilson Herrera while avoiding a multi-year commitment to Zobrist or Murphy.