The New York Mets avoided arbitration with their top power hitter from the 2014 season on Monday and general manager Sandy Alderson is excited for what 2015 will bring for the team.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Mets and first baseman Lucas Duda agreed to a one-year, $4.2 million deal in the 29-year-old's first year of arbitration eligibility. He originally filed for a $4.7 million salary back on January 16 and the Mets countered with $3.75 million, but they settled just below the midway point. Duda had a career year in 2014 and finally stepped up as the power hitter the Mets hoped he would be.
The former seventh round draft pick slashed .253/.349/.481/.830 with 30 home runs and 92 RBIs, notching career-highs in home runs, RBIs, games played (153), plate appearances (596), runs scored (74), hits (130), doubles (27), walks (69) and total bases (247). He even finished 22nd in the MVP voting in his first full season as the team's first baseman.
Duda remains under club control through the 2017 season and is expected to be an integral part of the Mets' lineup if he continues to play at the level he did this past season.
And perhaps Duda's breakout year got general manager Sandy Alderson optimistic about the 2015 season.
Alderson appeared on MLB Network's "High Heat" with Christopher Russo on Monday and talked about some questions surrounding the Mets, such as the status of shortstop Wilmer Flores, the health of Matt Harvey and the ability of Jacob deGrom to again perform at the level he did in 2014. However, the most pressing concern is the team's ability to take the next step forward in 2015 with a young roster.
"We expect to take the next step forward," Alderson said. "We won 79 games last year which was an improvement over the year before, but we need to take a bigger jump next season. One of the reasons we've been quiet in the offseason is that we have quality players at every position. They're not all proven, above average major league players, but we're at the point now where we have to give them an opportunity to perform."
He mentions the quality campaigns from Duda, catcher Travis d'Arnaud, outfielder Juan Lagares and the young arms on the pitching staff. Additionally, he believes these young players have the potential to improve the team by 10 wins. This explains why the Mets' only notable moves this offseason were signing outfielders Michael Cuddyer and John Mayberry Jr.
If the Mets can get those 10 extra wins they would certainly take that next step forward and have a shot at the postseason since the two NL Wild Card teams from 2014 - the San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates - finished the regular season with 88 wins.
