The team has some concerns about the White Sox' shortstop.
With Michael Cuddyer officially in the fold for the next couple of seasons, it's fair to say the Mets are now focused on acquiring a shortstop for at least next season. While the team is rumored to be interested in several players for the role, Marc Carig of Newsday reports the Mets have some concerns about Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez. Specifically, he says, the Mets are concerned about money, home-road splits, and declining defense when it comes to Ramirez.
The 33-year-old shortstop is owed $10 million in 2015 and has a team option for $10 million in 2016 with a $1 million buyout. That's certainly a reasonable salary for a player who was worth 3.1 fWAR in 2013, 3.3 fWAR in 2014, and figures to have a decent shot at coming close to that level of production in 2015—Steamer, the only projection publicly available at this stage of the offseason, pegs him at 2.3 fWAR in 2015.
As for the splits, Ramriez has indeed been a better hitter at home than on the road over the course of his career, all of which he has spent with the White Sox. At home, he's hit .279/.321/.424 with a 95 wRC+. On the road, he's hit .275/.306/.386 with an 87 wRC+. Of course, he's not the only player in baseball to play better at home than on the road.
Finally, Ramirez's defense has typically been a strength over the course of his career, but Defensive Runs Saved and UZR/150 support the Mets' concerns about his glove. For the first time in his major league career—save a brief stint in the big leagues in 2008—both metrics rated him negatively in 2014.