Don’t give Jed a 2nd chance

No reason Lowrie should be back in Queens

Second chances are, most of the time, a good thing. They allow players to flush putrid seasons, bounce back and start fresh. But Jed Lowrie, a career .261 batter who has yet to record a hit for the Mets, should not be given that chance for a team trying to squeeze its way into the postseason.

It should hardly be difficult for Mets’ higher ups to realize that Jed Lowrie does not fit into the makeup of the Mets’ win-now team heading into 2020. He’s venturing into his age-36 season — coming off a year that saw him battling a lengthy list of bewildering injuries. Once Lowrie finally recovered, he went 0-for-7 across eight plate appearances in nine inconsequential September games.

“I’ve dealt with a lot of adversity in my career with injuries and other things,” Lowrie told the Daily News in late September. “I know I’m obviously going to come out on top because that’s my belief in myself. I’ll always bet on myself.”

He still hasn’t pulled it off, and it will have taken Lowrie over a year to “come out on top.” But, for now, believe the man when he admits he’s injury-prone.

The veteran infielder sustained a sprained capsule in his left knee in the first week of spring training. Back then, the Mets painted the setback as a minor injury. Fast forward to late April and only then did he begin his first rehab assignment. Eight rehab games later, Lowrie was shut down with a strained left hamstring and other seemingly random ailments like hip pain and a right calf injury. All of which kept him shelved until September, when he made his Mets debut.

It was the type of season that draws very little inspiration for what to expect from Lowrie in 2020. In fact, Van Wagenen admitted as much at the GM Meetings in Scottsdale earlier last month. When asked if Lowrie will be ready for spring training, Van Wagenen responded with a brusque “to be determined.” The GM added the Mets are still trying to diagnose what Lowrie’s “issues” were that kept him out all season. Quite the, hmm, rosy outlook.

“I think Jed is… it’s not going to be a normal offseason considering what he went through last year,” Van Wagenen said. “I think he’s going to be evaluating ways to put himself in a better position to be healthy as we go into 2020.”

The problem is Lowrie was previously a CAA client represented by former agent-turnedGM Van Wagenen. He’s also a Stanford graduate — Van Wagenen’s alma mater. Those two brownie points alone will likely afford Lowrie a second chance in Brodie’s book (see: Mets’ unorthodox interest in former CAA clients including 2019 busts Robinson Cano and Todd Frazier).

In reality, Lowrie’s connections to Van Wagenen’s former employer and university are unimportant when making the case against his future with the Mets. Much like first baseman Dominic Smith, there’s no legitimate role for Lowrie on the roster. Jeff McNeil figures to be slotted at third base and Cano will assume secondbase duty, with Amed Rosario and

Pete Alonso all sewn up at shortstop and first base. J.D. Davis has been mentioned as another depth option at the hot corner when he’s not taking reps in left field. So where does that leave Lowrie?

Last season, even as Brandon Nimmo departed and returned from the injured list with a complex bulging cervical disc in his neck and Jeff McNeil recovered from his own hamstring injury, the 35-year-old Lowrie took much longer to heal from his aches and pains. Throughout it all, the Mets never gave up on him.

Coming off a breakout All-Star season, Lowrie was expected to be a key part of the Mets in 2019. He signed a two-year, $20 million deal last winter, acting as a versatile infielder capable of playing second, third and shortstop. In what could be interpreted as a mostly productive career, Lowrie joined the Mets slashing .267/.353/ .448 with a career-high 23 home runs and .801 OPS with Oakland in 2018. It was hard for anyone to anticipate the lost season he suffered.

“You just take it day by day,” Lowrie said when reflecting on the injuries that sidelined him in 2019. “I’m very happy with where I’m at right now. I busted my ass to get back to this point. That’s just who I am. I’m not going to stop and I’m going to continue to find a way to get better.”

The question is whether or not the Mets can find a place for Lowrie to “get better” somewhere else. He’s still owed $10 million in the final season of his two-year deal with the Mets.

The Brewers are in need of third baseman after shipping Mike Moustakas to the Reds on a four-year deal late Monday afternoon, according to multiple reports. Milwaukee also put baseball’s current best reliever — Josh Hader — for sale, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports the Mets are one of many teams interested in the left-hander. Veteran center fielder Lorenzo Cain is another attractive Brewer the Mets could be going for to improve their outfield depth.

It will be interesting to see what the Mets decide to do with Lowrie next season — particularly if they will give the veteran