Report: Mets not ruling out trading Lagares

With outfielder Brandon Nimmo's success in spring training, Juan Lagares' days with the New York Mets might be numbered.

The Mets have been receiving recent trade interest in Lagares, and they haven't ruled out the possibility of moving him, industry sources told Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Lagares has had a rough spring at the plate entering Tuesday, going 4-for-20 (.200) with nine strikeouts. Meanwhile, Nimmo has hit the ground running by batting .344/.421/.750 with two home runs and six RBIs.

Initially, Lagares was expected to open the season as the starting center fielder as Michael Conforto works his way back from a shoulder injury. A career .257 hitter with 20 home runs in 553 games, his value is mostly tied to his defensive prowess, having won a Gold Glove in 2014.

Lagares, 28, is under contract until after 2019. He is slated to earn $6.5 million in 2018 and $9 million in the final season of a five-year, $23.03-million contract extension he signed in 2015.

This isn't the first rumbling to surface around Lagares as a potential trade chip. The Mets reportedly discussed a deal with the San Francisco Giants involving second baseman Joe Panik in mid-February, but nothing ultimately materialized.