Braves bitter rival acquires elite defender in tantalizing trade with Rays

Even though the Atlanta Braves have a rising star in Michael Harris II locked into the center field spot for at least the next six seasons, it's hard not to look at the New York Mets acquisition of Jose Siri with at least a little bit of envy.

After all, Siri put up a 1.9 fWAR season with elite defense (16 OAA) in CF while providing an occasional loud bomb and even louder celebration, and the Mets were able to get an average starter for the price of a 27-year-old reliever with a 21.60 career ERA.

However, even worse for the Braves is that with Siri taking over in center field, the team with the largest payroll in 2024 frees up cash to make a potentially bigger splash elsewhere in their outfield.

New York Mets savvy trade for Jose Siri doesn't bode well for the Braves

Jose Siri's stat line isn't exciting on the surface. The 28-year-old only slashed .187/.255/.366, good for a 78 wRC+ in 448 plate appearances. He had a staggeringly high 37.9% strikeout rate, often struggling to get on even when he hit the ball in play. He also had a mediocre 6.9% walk rate, which meant he wasn't able to use his 99th percentile sprint speed to its full potential, only stealing 14 bags in 21 attempts.

Still, his 18 homers were enough to keep him from becoming a total blackhole with the bat, and his 16 Outs Above Average put him in the 99th percentile while playing a premium position.

Siri also experienced a bit of bad luck, underperforming both his xBA and xSLG. If he hit more in line with his expected numbers, he'd likely be closer to a league-average hitter.

This trade certainly doesn't mean the Mets will get more production from center field than the Braves this year, but it does help their bitter rival shift money around, possibly to make more room for lefty slugger Juan Soto.

Last season, New York paid Harrison Bader $10.5 million to be their primary center fielder. His 85 wRC+ was only seven points higher than Siri's, and Bader played slightly worse defense than Siri.

All in all, Siri is essentially a higher ceiling player than Bader with the same floor. The now-29-year-old is projected to make $2.3 million in arbitration, 4.5 times less than Bader made in 2024.

The Mets have been heavily rumored to Juan Soto this offseason. The team has plenty of money coming off the books, with their current active payroll sitting at nearly $200 million less than their 2024 payroll.

Unfortunately for the Braves, who just spent the 2024 season in a hard-fought battle with New York, this latest trade by the Mets ensured they are just as good in center and now have even more money to throw at the best free agent in baseball.

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