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MLB free agency: Mets sign Chris Young, steal him away from MMP

Boo, Mets. Don't you know how well Chris Young hits in Houston?

By David Coleman
Thomas B. Shea

Another dream is dead. This time, it's the dream that the Astros were going after Chris Young to play right field next year. Instead, the Houston-born outfielder who spent last year in Oakland signed a one-year deal with the New York Mets. From Amazin' Avenue:

For his career, Young is a .235/.315/.431 hitter with a 94 wRC+. He's hit 144 home runs in 3,963 plate appearances-an average of about 24 home runs per 650 plate appearances-and generally rated well by defensive metrics. A right-handed hitter, Young has excelled against left-handed pitchers, as he's hit .262/.363/.474 against them, good for a 121 wRC+. Though he's struggled against right-handed pitchers, Young has still hit for power against them.

As a reminder, look at that career batting line. It's not like Houston missed out on Babe Ruth or anything. But, what the Young signing does is underscore the activity on the secondary market for free agents right now. None of the big names have signed, but most of that second tier we expected Houston to pursue are going fast. Pitchers are signing left and right, with Jason Vargas inking a deal with the Royals. I don't even think the Astros were going to go after Vargas, but it still bummed me out.

So, where does Houston go from here? Well, only thing we can hope is that they pull off some magic like the Indians did last season, waiting for a free agent to lack interest due to the draft pick compensation and swooping in with a reasonable deal. This is also known as the "Michael Bourn Legacy."

What do you think? Disappointed Houston couldn't make a one-year deal with Young work?

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