Why Gerardo Parra Makes Sense for the New York Mets

Since June 17, the New York Mets have averaged 1.4 runs in games rookie sensation Steven Matz has not started, underscoring the glaring need for general manager Sandy Alderson to acquire a bat like, say, Gerardo Parra of the Milwaukee Brewers.

The team's struggles at the plate go beyond this weak stretch, as the Mets rank 27th in MLB with 290 runs scored, better than only the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners—two last-place teams and a club just a game-and-a-half in front of the bottom-dwellers.

Alderson recently spoke about the possibility of making a move and didn't sound particularly enamored with any of the players available.

"I would characterize us as somewhat aggressive," Alderson said, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York." Are we prepared to overpay? Me personally, yeah, I'm prepared to overpay. But there has to be something to overpay for."

By suggesting that there's nobody out there worth trading for when only one healthy everyday player—Daniel Murphy—is hitting above .260, Alderson is undermining the intelligence of the Mets fanbase.

New York's big free-agent pickup this offseason, Michael Cuddyer—whom Alderson gave up a first-round pick for and doled out a two-year, $21 million contract to—is a mess at the plate.

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The left fielder is hitting .236 with a .289 OBP, six home runs and 28 RBI, per MLB.com. It shouldn't be too difficult to find an upgrade.

Cuddyer's woes are only getting progressively worse, as Rubin and Anthony DiComo of MLB.com noted during Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers:

With the Brewers in last place in the National League Central, there's good chance they look to unload some of their veteran players.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the San Francisco Giants may have interest in Parra. Jon Morosi of Fox Sports mentioned some of the qualities that make Parra an appealing trade target for some teams:

The two-time former Gold Glove winner is hitting .308 with a .345 OBP and would provide an immediate improvement over Cuddyer—and any of New York's outfielders, for that matter.

He's also only 28 years old, and his career numbers indicate that the Mets wouldn't be trading for just one good half of baseball.

Now in his seventh season, Parra has a career .277 batting average and decent .327 OBP—coupled with the elite defense he supplies at any of the three outfield positions, that would make Parra a sound investment.

Not only would he spare Mets fans from having to watch Cuddyer ground into double plays or look at called third strikes with regularity, but Parra could also provide depth to a unit that's in desperate need of MLB-caliber players.

Juan Lagares is dealing with a balky elbow, and the addition of a player like Parra would allow manager Terry Collins to rest his Gold Glove center fielder more frequently without having to worry about a substantial downgrade on defense:

Moreover, New York has relied on some variation of John Mayberry, Darrell Ceciliani and Kirk Nieuwenhuis as the backup outfielders. None of them has provided much of anything either off the bench as a pinch hitter or when inserted into the lineup.

Maybe Cuddyer can thrive in a more limited role, which he would be relegated to if the Mets were to acquire Parra in a trade.

It's unclear exactly what Milwaukee is looking for in exchange for Parra, but the Mets can put together a nice package without having to deal one of their prized young arms.

Though he's still hurt, it's only been a year since Rafael Montero was drawing comparisons to Pedro Martinez, per Brendan Prunty of NJ.com.

Nineteen-year-old shortstop Amed Rosario is still only with the St. Lucie Mets—New York's High-A affiliate—so he won't be major league-ready anytime soon. Still, ESPN's Keith Law thinks he has an impressive skill set, according to the New York Sun Times.

Perhaps an offer centered around Rosario and Montero—with another prospect or two thrown in there—is enough to land Parra in New York.

If Alderson and Brewers GM Doug Melvin manage to find a deal that works for both sides, Mets fan will lay off Alderson—at least until the Mets lose their first 2-1 game with Parra in the lineup.