Ben Zobrist might be too expensive for the Mets

Ben Zobrist might be too expensive for the Mets to sign, writes Kristie Ackert of the Daily News. A utility man with a career .265/.355/.431 line at the plate, Zobrist was a member of the World Series champion Royals, and is coming off of a $7.5 million option year. Ackert writes that a source speculated that Zobrist would command a three-to-four year deal worth between $40 million and $50 million this offseason.

The Mets have expressed interest in Zobrist and reached out to his agent. Whether or not the team wants to commit that much money to the 34-year-old, who has mostly played second base and the corner outfield in recent years, is an open question. The Mets could very well fill second base with Dilson Herrera or Wilmer Flores in 2016.

There's no telling exactly where the Mets' payroll will end up on Opening Day, but it doesn't sound like the World Series appearance in 2015 will drastically increase the team's budget for salaries. Depending on what the limit is, Zobrist could fit within the Mets' payroll—particularly if he's the biggest acquisition of the offseason. If allocating that much of the payroll to Zobrist isn't appealing, perhaps the Mets will either try to retain Yoenis Cespdes or use their available resources on several lower-cost players.