According to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, the Mets acquired outfielder Jose Siri from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for reliever Eric Orze. New York later verified the transaction.
Siri, who has been with the Rays since 2022, had 18 home runs, 47 RBIs, and a.187 batting average last season. In 2023, he had 25 home runs, 56 RBIs, and a.222 batting average.
While his offensive numbers dropped last year, he remains a force in the outfield, with 16 Outs Above Average in 2024, tied for eighth in the league last season.
Last year, the Mets utilized Tyrone Taylor and Harrison Bader in center field, and Siri will presumably replace Bader. Taylor had seven home runs, 35 RBI, and a.248 batting average in 2024, and Siri will serve as a competent primary center fielder if Taylor is forced to miss any time due to the operations he had this summer or any injuries that may arise.
Orze, a fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft, had little time in the majors last season. In two appearances, he allowed three hits, four runs, and two walks over 1.2 innings.
He had a strong season in the minors, posting a 2.92 ERA in 43 appearances for Triple-A Syracuse, and may have a better chance of making it to the majors with the Rays.
