NEW YORK -- The Mets added to their outfield mix on Thursday, claiming Ji Hwan Bae off waivers from the Pirates, according to multiple sources. Bae, who spent most of this season in Triple-A, will go on their 40-man roster. The club has not confirmed the move.
Bae, 26, is capable of playing all three outfield positions, including center field -- a position of need for the Mets. The only other natural center fielder on New York’s roster is Tyrone Taylor, who produced a .598 OPS this season while making $3.025 million in his second of three arbitration seasons. As such, Taylor is a non-tender candidate.
Bae comes cheaper and with some offensive upside, as well as defensive versatility (he’s played middle infield in the past). Though he owns a .586 OPS in the Majors in 163 career games, the Korea native has produced an .819 mark over seven Minor League seasons, including an .805 OPS at Triple-A Indianapolis this year.
It remains to be seen how the Mets will fill their center-field vacancy. Their top-ranked prospect, Carson Benge, may not be ready for Opening Day but could be a factor in the first half of the season, which may discourage Mets officials from investing heavily in an external solution. Few of those exist anyway, with Harrison Bader, Trent Grisham and Cedric Mullins presenting as the best pure center fielders on the open market.