Pillar, Almora give Mets quality outfield depth

JUPITER, Fla. -- In building out their roster this winter, Mets officials saw two potential paths to outfield improvement. One was to acquire a strong defensive center fielder such as George Springer or Jackie Bradley Jr., which would have pushed Brandon Nimmo to left field and Dominic Smith to the margins. Under National League rules, without a designated hitter, that scenario had obvious drawbacks.

The other was a strategy the Mets ultimately pursued. Rather than acquire a starting outfielder, they inked Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora Jr. to contracts worth $5 million and $1.25 million, respectively, giving them -- on paper, at least -- the deepest mix they have had in years. Gone, theoretically, are the days of struggling veterans like Aaron Altherr, Keon Broxton and Billy Hamilton logging significant at-bats. The Mets now run five deep with proven outfielders on Major League deals.

The question is how to use all of them.

Against right-handed pitchers, manager Luis Rojas’ lineup cards should be relatively static: Smith, Nimmo and Michael Conforto from left to right, with others mixing in on occasion. Against left-handers, the situation becomes more fluid. Pillar, who led off Wednesday’s 14-9 loss to the Cardinals with a triple off the top of the fence, will often tag in for one of the Mets’ three outfield starters. But the team is also trying to get Nimmo more exposure to left-handers this spring, in hopes of making him less of a platoon bat. And what to do with Almora, whom the team acquired before signing Pillar?

Earlier this spring, Rojas spent time writing out various lineup combinations for the 2021 Mets. He came up with about 15 possibilities in all, which he considers a testament to the roster’s depth.

“These guys have been regular players their entire careers,” Rojas said. “So the more chances we have to get them in there, the better.”

Pillar -- who has been an everyday starter annually since 2015 for the Blue Jays, Giants, Red Sox and Rockies -- still considers himself that type of player. He understands the reality of the Mets’ current outfield situation, which will change only if they suffer an injury (or if MLB and the MLBPA strike an 11th-hour deal to bring back the DH). But Pillar believes his track record, which includes an average of 14 homers and 16 steals per season over his five full years as a starter (2015-19), speaks for itself.

“My mindset is always going to remain the same,” Pillar said. “I’m never going to be satisfied with accepting a role. I’m always going to prepare myself to be a guy that’s going to play every day. That’s something that I’ve done in my career. It’s something that I still feel like I can do at a very high level.”

One potential issue with Pillar is, surprisingly, defense; per Statcast, his outs above average metric fell from 11 in 2016 to -2 last season. That’s where Almora comes in. Statistically the best defensive outfielder with a chance to make the team, Almora could play the role that Jake Marisnick and Juan Lagares have in seasons past, serving as a part-time starter or defensive replacement late in games. Almora does have an accessible Minor League option, meaning the Mets can send him to Triple-A Syracuse if they can’t find enough at-bats for him in the Majors. For now, he is doing his best to prove he belongs, hitting a solo homer in the Mets’ Tuesday win over the Astros.

“I feel like I’m in a really good place,” Almora said. “I’m just excited to compete. I’m excited to go to war with these guys.”

Others in camp, such as José Martínez and Mallex Smith, are more on the periphery of the conversation. Unlike Pillar and Almora, they are not on Major League deals, despite their significant big league experience. Even so, their presence provides additional evidence that this is a new era for the Mets, whose bench has the potential to turn from a weakness to a strength.

Said team president Sandy Alderson: “I’m pleased with the roster that we have.”