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In their search to improve a pedestrian outfield, the Mets could be turning to a familiar name. Well, sort of.
According to Marc Carig of Newsday, the Mets have expressed interest in Chris Young, the outfielder. The level of interest is not clear, nor is the kind of contract Young will be looking for.
Young, 30, had a very disappointing 2013 for the Oakland Athletics, hitting just .200/.280/.379 in 375 at-bats. His .237 batting average on balls in play, a mark 37 points below his career norm, undoubtedly contributed to his struggles.
Despite the overall underwhelming batting line, Young had a .179 ISO in 2013, above the league average of .150 for outfielders. Young also posted a 99 wRC+ against left-handed pitching and has a career 121 wRC+ against them. That somewhat makes up for the career 83 wRC+ Young has against right-handed pitching.
One interesting thing about Young is the fact that before 2013, he had never played a single inning at any position besides center field. As a reserve this season, Young played 164 innings in left field and 194 innings in right field. Center field was still his primary position in 2013, as he played 381 innings there.