Zobrist Signing Seems Familiar

It seems the Mets won’t give up on signing Ben Zobrist. For reasons that are beyond me, it seems most of the fan base is eager to replace Daniel Murphy with him. 

Here are the facts. He can play multiple positions of need. He has a career batting line of .279/.347/.466. He has an OPS+ of 114. He has a wRC+of 112. He has a wOBA of .349. Despite being well regarded, he’s only been an All Star twice in his career. Sounds like a player that contribute to your team despite turning 35 next year. 

Wait, I’m sorry those are Michael Cuddyer‘s statistics before signing with the Mets last year. 

Zobrist’s career numbers are very similar right down to the two All Star appearances. Zobrist has hit .265/.355/.431 with a 117 OPS+, wRC+ of 118, and a wOBA of .344. Cuddyer received a two year $21 million contract. Zobrist is rumored to be close to receiving a four year $60 million contract. Basically, if the Mets sign Zobrist, they’re risking him showing the same regression for additional years at a higher salary. 

At some point someone has to look at everything and say this is a bad idea.