Mets rumors: Yulieski Gurriel not likely to sign with Mets

Adam Rubin over at ESPN reports that the Mets are unlikely to sign Yulieksi Gurriel to fill the David Wright-sized hole at third base. Gurriel was always a long shot to land in Flushing. He would likely require a multi-year deal to sign, and there is no guarantee that he will even be ready to play in the majors this year. Gurriel will require time in the minors to get back into playing form after the layoff caused by his defection. Furthermore, Mets talent evaluators were apparently not very enthused by his private workout for the team in St. Lucie on June 27.

In the short term, the Mets seem content to give Jose Reyes a look at the cornerstone. While Reyes is highly unlikely to maintain his current 166 wRC+, the power surge has been fun while it lasts. His ISO is likely to fall from .458 (!) to somewhere close to his career average of .142. On the other hand, Reyes has seen a putrid BABIP of .176, so there’s some room for improvement there. It is reasonable to believe that more hits will fall in as the homers dry up.

Beyond the Jose Reyes Experiment of 2016, the Mets also have Wilmer Flores as an option at the hot corner. After an awful first two months, Flores ran a decent .336 wOBA in June before exploding for five homers in July. With his recent outburst, Flores has brought his batting line up to a respectable .256/.317/.446 on the season, good for a 107 wRC+. Yulieski Gurriel may have a more intriguing name than any of the Mets’ current third base options, but he will not necessarily improve the team dramatically in 2016.