After missing out on the Ben Zobrist sweepstakes, the New York Mets have made a move to solidify their middle infield. The team has reportedly acquired second baseman Neil Walker from the Pittsburgh Pirates for starting pitcher Jon Niese.
Both have been rumored to be on the trade market for some time now, so this shouldn't come as much of a surprise.
Each player fills a pretty big need for his new team as well.
Walker might be a below-average fielding second baseman, but his hitting more than makes up for that.
The 30-year-old infielder hit .269 with 16 homers and 71 RBI's while posting a solid .756 OPS last season. A first-round pick of the Pirates in 2004, Walker has spent his entire professional career in that organization. His best season came in 2011 when he hit 12 homers while driving in 83 runs.
Walker is slated to make $10.7 million in each of the next two seasons.
For the Pirates, it was all about adding a starter at the winter meetings.
In Niese, the team gets a veteran that has posted a 3.91 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in parts of eight MLB seasons. He's coming off a 2015 campaign that saw him post a 9-10 record with a 4.13 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 33 games (29 starts).
That's the crux of the situation right here. A groundball pitcher, Niese should work just find in Pittsburgh's rotation. He's never going to be an ace pitcher, but expecting 10-plus wins with an ERA under four isn't too far from where he's projected in 2016.