Mets acquire center fielder Jose Siri from Rays for reliever Eric Orze

NEW YORK (AP) — Speedy center fielder Jose Siri was acquired by the New York Mets from the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday for reliever Eric Orze.

The 29-year-old Siri batted .187 with 18 home runs, 47 RBIs and a .620 OPS in a career-high 130 games this year for the Rays, who obtained him from Houston in August 2022. He has a .210 average with 54 homers, 136 RBIs and a .674 OPS in four seasons with the Astros and Rays.

Siri also has 43 career stolen bases in 56 attempts, and he ranked second among major league outfielders this year with 17 outs above average. He covers a lot of ground on defense and gives the Mets a replacement for Harrison Bader, who became a free agent after sharing time in center field last season.

Tyrone Taylor can also play center for New York, along with regular left fielder Brandon Nimmo.

Bader and Siri have similar profiles as strong defenders with speed and some pop. Both struggle to get on base consistently but have proven effective in part-time roles.

Siri's best season came with Tampa Bay in 2023, when he batted .222 with 25 homers, 56 RBIs and a .761 OPS in 101 games.

Siri had a $757,800 salary this year and is eligible for arbitration. He has irritated some opponents throughout his career with flashy antics on the field.

Orze, a two-time cancer survivor, was a fifth-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. He made his big league debut on July 8 at Pittsburgh and made his only other major league appearance on July 26 against Atlanta.

The 27-year-old right-hander was 0-1 with a 21.60 ERA for the Mets and 6-1 with a 2.92 ERA and three saves in 43 relief appearances for Triple-A Syracuse, striking out 84 in 61 2/3 innings.

Orze overcame skin and testicular cancer while playing college ball at the University of New Orleans.

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