The New York Mets haven’t seen much production from their designated hitter position this season. Jesse Winker started off well but landed on the injured list with a grade two oblique strain. He had mostly been part of a platoon with veteran Starling Marte, who has struggled out of the gate, though the Mets appear committed to giving him more time.
However, they may consider upgrading with a more reliable right-handed bat at DH, and one potential trade target could be former Yankee Miguel Andujar.
Andujar was once viewed as a rising star for the Yankees. In 2018, he hit .297/.328/.527 with 27 home runs and a 129 wRC+. He also matched Albert Pujols’ rookie record with 47 doubles since integration. Although his defense at third base was poor, with -21 defensive runs saved, he still finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting, behind Shohei Ohtani.
Injuries derailed much of Andujar’s next few seasons, limiting him to just 105 games from 2019 to 2022 with the Yankees. During that time, he lost his spot to Gio Urshela and later Josh Donaldson. Eventually, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022, but didn’t make a strong impression in his 39 games there.
Andujar got a fresh opportunity with the Oakland Athletics, seeing his most extensive action since his rookie season. In 319 plate appearances, he posted a .285/.320/.377 slash line with a 103 wRC+. Although he only hit four home runs and had an isolated slugging percentage below .100, he struck out just 13.2% of the time. He played mostly in left field, but his defense remained below average, with -1 defensive run saved and -7 outs above average over 615.2 innings.
Miguel Andujar would be better Jesse Winker complement at DH than Starling Marte currently is.
Andujar is off to an even stronger start in 2025, posting a .316/.345/.444 slash line over his first 142 plate appearances. He’s maintained a low strikeout rate at 11.3% but continues to walk infrequently, with a 4.9% walk rate. Compared to last season, he’s showing improved power, already hitting three home runs and recording a .128 isolated power (ISO).
He’s been especially dominant against left-handed pitching while with the Athletics, hitting .416/.458/.558 with a .442 wOBA and a 197 wRC+ across 83 plate appearances. Though it’s a relatively small sample size, it’s far more impressive than Starling Marte’s performance against lefties this season. Marte’s .222/.344/.370 line and 110 wRC+ in 32 plate appearances pale in comparison.
Defensively, Andujar has mostly played left field but has started to see some action at third base again, a position he hasn’t manned since 2021 and not consistently since his rookie year.
His defense remains subpar — he’s rated at -3 DRS and OAA at third, and zero DRS with -2 OAA in left. Statcast also ranks him poorly in route efficiency and reaction time on fly balls, placing him among the worst outfielders in those metrics.
Ironically, this defensive liability could make him a good fit to replace Marte — if used primarily as a designated hitter. That would minimize the impact of his defensive shortcomings. Since Andujar is a rental, acquiring him wouldn’t be overly costly.
A DH platoon with Jesse Winker, who hits right-handed pitching well, could be an effective strategy for the Mets, allowing them to maximize both players’ strengths while limiting their defensive exposure.
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