Musings
Looking over the Mets infield, there are two things that squarely stand-out. The first is that this is an aging group of players coming off significant injuries. The second is this infield is not a particularly good defensive infield.
John Dewan of Acta Sports, and Fielding Bible fame, projected the Mets to have the worst defense up the middle in 2017. The projection calls for Neil Walker to be a -1 DRS next season, which is what he has averaged over the past three seasons. Asdrubal Cabrera is projected to post a -9 DRS, which is worse than the -7 DRS he has averaged over the past two seasons. While you would certainly want both Walker’s and Cabrera’s bats in the game, certainly, the Mets would benefit by having a better glove in the game when there is a lead late in the game.
That is exactly what the Mets have done with Juan Lagares. After the team acquired Yoenis Cespedes at the 2015 trade deadline, Lagares has served as a defensive replacement late in games. The Mets doing this has served two important purposes. First, it has helped the Mets preserve leads by putting their best defense on the field. Second, it helps save some innings, and by extent wear and tear, on players like Cespedes and Curtis Granderson. It is a large reason why the Mets will be returning Lagares to the same role in 2017.
It is something the Mets should consider for their infield. The issue is the Mets do not have the bench to do it.
Jose Reyes has averaged a -9 DRS at shortstop over the past three years, which would indicate he’s a downgrade from Cabrera. Wilmer Flores had a -10 DRS as the starting shortstop in 2015, and he has a -6 DRS as a second baseman in 576.0 major league innings. The other options being considered for the bench, T.J. Rivera and Ty Kelly, are hardly terrific defenders in their own right. Certainly, you are not taking the steady handed Walker and Cabrera off the field for them.
No, the only good defensive player who is a realistic option to make the Opening Day roster is Matt Reynolds.
Reynolds is not a gold glover in the middle infield. However, he does have the same steady hands Walker and Cabrera have while having better range at the position. He certainly has the arm to play second, short, and third. That also makes him an option to take some innings away from David Wright at third. Overall, Reynolds is most likely the best defensive infielder the Mets not named Amed Rosario. The fact that he is also capable of serving as the team’s fifth outfielder makes him an all the more enticing roster option.
What is going to hurt his chances of making the team is his bat. He hit .225/.266/.416 in 47 games with the Mets last year. He has played 254 games in the hitter’s haven that is the Pacific Coast League, Reynolds has only hit .284/.342/.411. Overall, he’s not a great hitter. It’s quite possible that even with him putting in extra time with Kevin Long he will never develop into a good hitter.
But the Mets don’t need hitters. They have plenty of them on this team. What they need are good defenders. With Lagares, they have that in the outfield. With Reynolds, they would have that in the infield as well.
Editor’s Note: this was first published on Mets Merized Online
After last season, Mets fans became aware of who Gavin Cecchini, Ty Kelly, Seth Lugo, Brandon Nimmo, and T.J. Rivera were. While we may have been aware of who they were, Mets fans got to see Rene Rivera and Fernando Salas up close and personal for the first time. Naturally, you are well aware of who Jeurys Familia and Jose Reyes are. Still, there are some other Mets participating in this edition of the World Baseball Classic that most Mets fans are going to see for the first time. Here’s a a look at those players and what we may expect to see
Country: Mexico
2016 Level: Binghamton & Las Vegas
2016 Stats: 85 G, 327 PA, 290 AB, 28 R, 79 H, 14 2B, 4 HR, 25 RBI, CS, .272/.347/.362
The 27 year old Carrillo is a catcher’s catcher. He is a good receiver behind the plate, and he has a good, not great, throwing arm that allows him to control the running game. For his defensive skills, he was recently given a Gold Glove in the Mexican Pacific Winter Leagues.
At the plate, Carrillo shows a good eye at the plate, but not much pop. While you can argue his glove is major league ready, his bat probably isn’t. Still, Carrillo is a hard worker that has shown the willingness to do whatever is necessary to improve his game. Considering Mets fans once saw the likes of Mike Nickeas serve as a back-up catcher at the major league level, it is not impossible that Carrillo could one day get a chance in the major leagues.
RHP Nabil Crismatt
Country: Mexico
2016 Level: Brooklyn, Columbia, Binghamton
2016 Stats: 1-4, 2.47 ERA, 13 G, 7 GS, SV, 65.2 IP, 74 K, 0.883 WHIP, 10.1 K/9
The 22 year old Crismatt has been an interesting pitching prospect since the Mets signed him as a non-drafted free agent out of Columbia in 2011. Crismatt has never had dominating stuff with his fastball typically sitting between the high 80s to the low 90s. With that said, he’s able to get batters out because he knows how to pitch. He has clean, easily repeatable mechanics. While he does not have a blazing fastball, he is able to locate the pitch well. He gets the most out of his fastball because he has a terrific change-up. He gets the most out of both pitches because he knows how to attack hitters to not only get a high number of strike outs, but also get a good number of ground balls.
The Mets did not protect Crismatt from the Rule 5 Draft last year, and he wasn’t selected. The Mets may not be so lucky the next time around. Crismatt has shown he can thrive as a starter and as a reliever. At the moment, he projects as a major league reliever. With that said if he can develop a third pitch to be on the level of his fastball and change-up, he may very well be able to thrive in a major league rotation.
Certainly, aside from these prospects, I’m sure the player most Mets fans have the most interest in seeing play during the World Baseball Classic is Yoenis Cespedes‘ 19 year old brother Yoelkis. Unsurprisingly, Yoelkis has been dubbed a five tool player.
Seemingly each and every year there is one player who takes advantage of his opportunity to impress his club in Spring Training. The classic examples for Mets fans are Butch Huskey and Benny Agbayani. This year it seems as if that honor is going to Phillip Evans, who has looked like Mike Schmidt during Spring Training.
So far this Spring, he has made a number of highlight plays at third base. In five games this Spring, he has hit two home runs. This is causing fans to take notice of Evans and wonder who he is.
Evans was the Mets 2011 15th Round Draft Pick out of La Costa Canyone High School in Carlsbad, CA. While the round he was drafted would suggest Evans wasn’t a highly thought of prospect, the signing bonus would differ. Evans received a $650,000 signing bonus which was the equivalent of either supplemental first round or second round money. Evans draft stock had dropped mostly because Evans had committed to play for San Diego State, which was in the backyard of his hometown.
This is now Evans’ seventh year in the Mets organization. For much of the first five, it was an uneasy development process. Up until last season, Evans was just a .236/.304/.310 hitter. While he was drafted as a shortstop, the 5’9″ Evans would no longer be a shortstop in the Mets farm system by 2015. Certainly, entering the 2016 season, you could argue his star had diminished.
Evans turned things around in 2016. In 96 games for the Binghamton Mets, he hit .335/.374/.485 en route to winning the Eastern League batting title. He did that while playing well defensively at both second and third base. He also managed to play a respectable shortstop in his limited opportunities there as well.
Typically, when you are coming off a promising season like that, you get protected in the Rule 5 Draft. Unfortunately for Evans, he is in a Mets farm system stacked with middle infield prospects, and some of those prospects, like Amed Rosario, needed to be added to the 40 man roster. This caused many to speculate Evans would be taken by another team in the Rule 5 Draft.
Somewhat surprisingly, Evans wasn’t.
According to Mets Minors, Evans is the 31st best prospect in the Mets farm system. While some believe in his bat, others point to his extraordinarily high .384 BABIP, his low 4.9% walk rate, his general lack of power, and his propensity to pull the ball. However, if Evans is able to replicate his 2016 season, and he continues to build off his success from Spring Training, he will start turning some of those doubters into believers. Time will tell.
For now, Evans is getting noticed in Spring Training, and that can only help his prospects of making it to the major leagues.
Editor’s Note: this was first published on Mets Merized Online
So, in case you missed it yesterday, and I am not sure how you did, Mets shorstop prospect Luis Guillorme did this:
The man didn’t even flinch. Everyone is scurrying for shelter, and he just calmly and coolly grabs Adeiny Hechavarria‘s bat . . . MIDFLIGHT . . . and just tosses it back to him. This certainly is going to be replayed over and over again. It is almost definitely going to be the defensive play of the year. It could also be the beginning of his own legend.
For those that follow the Mets minor leagues, Guillorme is considered to be a better defensive prospect than Amed Rosario, which is saying something as Rosario is seen as a potential Gold Glover at short. If Guillorme ever develops as a hitter the way Rosario did over the past season, the Mets could have just an insanely good defensive infield in a few years. Where Guillorme and Rosario would play if that ever occurred is an interesting question.
However, for right now, the question is whether this was a Gold Glove or a Silver Slugger caliber play.
Speaking of Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers, Yoenis Cespedes did this after Guillorme making everyone forget about the Guillorme play:
Check back in a few hours when this ball actually lands pic.twitter.com/tMDtAc6ceV
— SportsNet New York (@SNYtv) March 2, 2017
Unfortunately, it comes as no surprise David Wright is not going to be ready for Opening Day. No one realistically knows when Wright is going to be ready to play this year. With that in mind, the Mets now have an open roster spot on the Opening Day roster. On the 40 man roster, the Mets have T.J. Rivera and Matt Reynolds. Ty Kelly would also be an option should the Mets be willing to make a 40 man roster move, which could include putting Wright on the 60 day disabled list.
The argument for Kelly would be the fact that his switch hitting ability would present the Mets with a left-handed hitting option for a team that promises to have a completely right-handed bench. His versatility in the field may also prove to be important. With that said, if you are willing to make an important roster move for Kelly, why not go ALL-IN and bring back Kelly Johnson.
Over the past two seasons, Johnson has hit .260/.319/.441 with 14 homers and 37 RBI in 131 games. Over those 131 games, Johnson has played every position for the Mets except pitcher, catcher, and center field. He could prove to be a very important player for the Mets.
Fact is, Johnson has been vitally important to the Mets over the past two seasons. In 2015, he was able to serve as an everyday player until the team got healthy. In 2016, he worked diligently to become a better hitter with him hitting .268/.328/.459. When Neil Walker went down, he and Wilmer Flores joined to make an extremely effective platoon at second base. As we’ve seen, he’s also capable of playing third, which just became an important issue again with Wright being unable to play on Opening Day.
Frankly, it is surprising that it would come to this for the Mets to make a move to add Johnson. This is the same player the Mets have traded prospect after prospect for in successive years. The ultimate reason these trades were necessary was because the Mets had built flawed, if not weak, benches heading into the 2015 and 2016 seasons. While the Mets bench in 2017 promises to be deeper than year’s past, it is still flawed for the aforementioned reasons. The addition of Kelly Johnson would go a long way in resolving the issues the bench currently has.
Right now, the Mets have a need for another bench player. There is a veteran who has not only played well coming off the bench, but he has also played well in New York. Both are more difficult than many believe, and that is why a player like Johnson is important. Realistically speaking, with Sandy Alderson already telling the media, the Mets are “all-in” this year, he should put his money where he mouth is and re-sign Johnson.
That’s what teams who are all-in do when a need arises.
All offseason long, in trade discussions, the first player other teams inquire about is Amed Rosario. Based upon reports, those requests are met with swift refusals as the Mets see Rosario as untouchable. While we don’t know where the conversations go from there, assuming a conversation does in fact continue, it could be assumed teams eventually inquire about Dominic Smith.
For what it is worth, the Mets have shown no willingness to include Smith in a deal. However, the team has not given him the label of untouchable. They should.
Smith was the Mets 2013 first round draft pick, 11th overall, out of Junipero High School in Gardena, California. While the Mets under the Sandy Alderson regime have been cautious in their handling of prospects, Smith’s play has pushed the team to have him progress rather quickly through the Mets minor league system. Last year, Smith was the youngest player who played the entire season in the Eastern League. If not for Rosario’s late call-up, Smith would have been the youngest player in the Eastern League for the entire 2016 season.
During Smith’s rise through the minor leagues, there are been things that stick out with him. First, Smith is a slick fielding first baseman. Second, he gets on base at a very high clip. Third, he is durable. Fourth, he has always been on the heavy side. And fifth, he has the potential, but he has not quite developed power like a traditional first baseman.
That was at least until the second half of the 2016 season. Despite the Eastern League being a pitcher’s league, Smith was able to show off some power in the second half of the season. From July 1st until the end of the season, he hit .348/.429/.525 with 13 doubles, one triple, seven homers, and 40 RBI. If you extrapolate the numbers from that 56 game stretch, Smith would hit 38 doubles, three triples, 22 homers, and 116 RBI. That’s a bat that can definitely play at first base.
Numbers like that should get you excited, and it should make you wonder where Smith’s ceiling actually is. With him posting numbers like that as a 21 year old in the Eastern League, anything could be possible for him next season in Las Vegas.
And anything is possible especially with Smith having a more rigorous workout routine leading to Smith losing more than 20 pounds this offseason. The hard work should come as no surprise with Smith. As reported by the New York Times, Smith was one of many players to work out with Barwis in the offseason. Smith did this because ” they said it was good for my career.” And the workouts have been good for his career. Smith has been durable, and now he is moving away from a player with body issues to a player with a much better physique.
Ultimately, when you have a player like Smith, who is willing to do the hard work to help improve the areas of his game that needs improvement, while still maintaining those areas of his game that make him a good player, you have someone who is special.
When you add up Smith’s ability and makeup with Lucas Duda being a free agent this offseason, Smith should absolutely be labeled as untouchable by the Mets in trade discussions. In fact, with Duda’s back, Smith could be the Mets first baseman as early as this year.
Catching prospect Patrick Mazeika was the Mets 2015 8th round draft pick. In his brief time in the Mets organization, he has shown he is a promising hitter and receiver. Due to this production, he was named a 2015 MiLB organizational All Star for the Mets. Recently, he was named the Mets 29th best prospect by MLB Pipeline, and he was named the 44th best prospect by MMN.
While preparing for what promises to be another successful season, Mazeika took some time to discuss with me about his development as a player:
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. One of the things that will stand out to many Mets fans is the fact you were drafted out of Stetson University like current Mets starter Jacob deGrom. What is it about Stetson University that prepares its players for professional baseball?
Stetson is a great place to get better as a player. It’s a good program with a great coaching staff. You can’t beat the weather and facilities they have. It’s a professional environment that helps transition into pro baseball.
Speaking of the transition to pro ball, what have you found to be the biggest difference over the past two years?
The pitching is just more polished in pro baseball. They throw harder with better off-speed pitches. Consistency is the biggest thing. As you move up, you notice pitchers can consistently make pitches that guys at the lower levels won’t make as often. Everyone is very talented, but the higher level guys execute more often.
How has that affected your approach at the plate?
I wouldn’t say that it has really affected my approach at all. As a hitter, you’re getting better at recognizing pitches with more at bats against good pitching. The one thing it has changed is trying to be aggressive on my pitches. You get fewer mistakes in pro baseball and even fewer as you move up levels.
Could you walk me through a typical at-bat? What is your approach? What specifically are your type of pitches?
Everything depends on the situation. Looking for a fastball in the heart of the plate and reacting to off-speed pitches up in the zone. Trying to take good “pitcher’s pitches.”
Going back to your statement that pitchers execute better as you’ve risen through the minor leagues, how does that impact you as a catcher?
It makes it a little easier as you progress as a catcher. The better a pitcher can execute the easier it is to have a game plan.
How have you improved as a catcher since joining the Mets?
I’ve improved in every aspect defensively – definitely improved a lot receiving especially this offseason after instructional league. My throwing has improved with better mechanics back there. This offseason I’ve also gotten more flexible and I feel I’m moving better.
At 6’3″ you’re taller than most catchers. How do you feel your height behind the plate helps and hinders you?
Bigger guys have longer legs so you have to spend extra time on your mobility to be able to get low and receive well. That’s been the biggest thing for me, and I think I’ve made a lot of progress because of that. It helps because I’m a bigger target for pitchers to throw to back there.
In your time catching for Kingsport and Columbia, which pitchers have impressed you the most?
Obviously, P.J. Conlon was very impressive. Also Nabil Crismatt was very solid both years I’ve played with him. We had some great relief pitchers as well. Our entire bullpen in Columbia was impressive.
Overall, who would you say has had the biggest impact on your career?
I wouldn’t say any specific advice has been key. It’s everything I’ve learned since being drafted. I didn’t really know how to approach receiving or blocking. The biggest thing was having a catching coordinator to work with every day. Getting good reps and learning what works and what doesn’t behind the plate has been big.
What has been your favorite memory as a baseball player?
Besides getting drafted it’s probably my walk off home run in college my freshman year.
Who was your favorite player growing up?
Probably Jason Varitek or Vladimir Guerrero.
Would you say you try to model your game after Varitek, or was he a favorite of yours for other reasons?
I grew up watching the Red Sox. I always liked how he played. I don’t model my game after anyone specific though.
Last year, your former teammate Nicco Blank made a name for himself for leaving tickets for Taylor Swift to see him pitch. What famous person would you like to come see you pitch?
Tom Brady. It doesn’t get better than him.
If Brady does come, what kind of player is he going to see?
Hopefully a player who’s going to control the game behind the plate and a fun guy to watch hit.
What are your goals for the 2017 season?
Continue to get better in all aspects of my game defensively. Also to drive the ball and to do more damage offensively.
Personally, I’d like to thank Mazeika for taking the time to speak with me while he is preparing for the 2017 season. Hopefully, the interview illuminates just how hard working and dedicated he is. If he continues to improve the areas of the game like he has been doing, we can expect big things for Mazeika in years to come.
Editor’s Note: this was first published on Mets Minors
Ever since T.J. Rivera lined out to Denard Span, it has been an excruciatingly long offseason. Somehow, we have navigated through the offseason, and now it is Spring Training. Finally, on Friday, there was a game being played. On what was a pleasantly surprising Spring day in the middle of February, there was a baseball game being played. It was the perfect day for baseball.
It gets better. Michael Conforto was being allowed to hit against a left-handed pitcher. Gavin Cecchini was playing second base. Gold Glover Juan Lagares was going to be patrolling center field. Personal favorite, Seth Lugo, was getting the start.
Wait, it gets better. Uber prospects Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith were slated to appear in the game.
This is the type of day where you align your lunch with the game. You get in your car to listen to Howie Rose do the play-by-play. You find a place to eat where you can watch an inning or two.
Except, you can’t. With the Mets traveling to Fort Myers to play the Red Sox, the game was not going to be televised. Typically speaking, road Spring Training games are not telecast for a myriad of very justifiable reasons. With that said, it would have been nice to watch some of the game during lunch, and it would have been great to watch the replay with my son when I got home. However, I didn’t get that opportunity because, like the revolution, this game was not televised.
With baseball looking for more and more ways to improve the sport, it should find a way to televise all of their Spring Training games. At the very least, it would be an olive branch to your most die hard fans who may take real issue with the rule changes you want to put in place.
In what is masked as an attempt to make games move at a faster pace, MLB with approval of MLBPA has agreed that pitchers will no longer have to throw four balls to issue a walk. Rather, now, the manager in the dugout will simply make a signal, and the batter at the plate will take first base.
While the rule seems benign, it does go against one of the basic tenents of what baseball great. It it the idea that at any moment, no matter how seemingly insignificant it is, you can see something special, something bizarre, or something you have never seen before:
As you can see, you never now what is going to happen. Except now, you do. Each one of those players will automatically be awarded first taking away the potential that something will happen. Baseball is doing this despite the fact that your average intentional walk lasts less than a minute. Baseball is doing this despite teams not issuing many intentional walks.
As reported by Newsday, there were only 932 intentional walks last year. Considering there are 2,430 games in a baseball season, baseball is looking for a resolution for something that happens less than once per game. It happens less than every other game. In essence, baseball, issued a rule change that eliminates the possibility of anything happening on a play that doesn’t even happen every game. This is like the NFL issuing a rule change with regards to the kick-off after a safety, the NBA issuing a rule change on what to do when a ball gets stuck between the backboard and the rim, or the NHL changing what type of shots are permitted on an in-game penalty shot.
Essentially, it is a rule change that affects something that rarely happens. It is a rule change that will have little to no impact on the casual fan. It will have no impact on fans that dislike the sport. More importantly, it only serves to anger your most ardent fans. At the end of the day, you have to ask why this was done?
For expediency? Pace of play? Make games go quicker?
In reality, it has no impact on that.
If Manfred really wants to make an impact might as well eliminate the home run trot. According to ESPN Home Run Tracker, there were 5,610 homers hit in the major leagues last year. This means that on average there are two home runs hit in an average baseball game. If you were to eliminate, the home run trot, you could really shave some time off of games, especially with some of the slower home run trots:
If everyone is being intellectually honest, removing the home run trot from games will make games move along much swifter. Given the fact that there are many more home runs hit than intentional walks, removing the home run trot would have a far greater impact than removing the intentional walk.
Also, if we’re being honest, no fan really cares about the home run trot except when they are looking for the celebration at home plate after a walk-off. However, that celebration could be heightened without the home run trot. Imagine a player hitting a home run and then immediately getting mobbed by his teammates on the field. It would look something like this:
Pure jubilation. Except, here is the strange thing. This celebration turned a home run that probably would have been a highlight of a six game series to an all time baseball moment. It was the Grand Slam Single. With that Robin Ventura will be forever immortalized because of Todd Pratt and the rest of the Mets tackling him on the field.
That’s what we lose when we eliminate throwing four balls or home run trots. You lose the impossible. You lose the potential or chance for the next great moment. Ultimately, this is why the rule is dumb. You’re changing what makes baseball great.
No, intentional walks do not make baseball great. Rather, it is that something amazing could happen during those four pitches. For most fans, you may not feel like you are missing anything when in reality you are missing everything.
It would take a minor miracle if the Mets Opening Day lineup lasts the full season. It is very likely that one of Lucas Duda (back), Neil Walker (back), David Wright (body), or Asdrubal Cabrera (knee) doesn’t have a stint on the disabled list. With that in mind, the Mets infield depth is going to be more important than ever. Fortunately, they seem to have more choices than they have ever had in the past:
2016 Stats: 60 G, 279 PA, 255 AB, 45 R, 68 H, 13 2B, 4 3B, 8 HR, 24 RBI, 9 SB, 2 CS, .267/.326/.443
In many ways, it was the Reyes of old last year with the electricity on the basepaths which created a buzz in both the dugout and the stands. There are two areas of caution with Reyes. He had a poor .326 OBP which is not an outlier as Reyes’ OBP over the past three seasons is .321. The other issue is he struggled against right-handed pitchers hitting .239/.293/.371 off of them last year. With that said, Reyes does seem rejuvenated being in a Mets uniform, and he can now completely focus on baseball giving hope for much better results.
2016 Stats: 103 G, 335 PA, 307 AB, 38 R, 82 H, 14 2B, 16 HR, 49 RBI, SB, CS, .267/.319/.469
Simply put, Flores mashes left-handed pitching having hit .340/.383/.710 with 11 of his 16 home runs off of them. While fans have soured on him as a shortstop, he still can capably handle all four infield positions. Based on the numbers, when there is a left-handed pitcher on the mound, the Mets needs to find a way to get him in the lineup. When there’s a right-handed pitcher, the Mets would be better off looking in another direction.
2016 Stats: 33 G, 113 PA, 105 AB, 10 R, 35 H, 4 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 16 RBI, .333/.345/.476
In September, we saw that Rivera can not only hold down a position due to injuries. More importantly, we know he can rise to the occasion. While he may not walk enough to justify putting him in the everyday lineup, his ability to hit can justify his presence on a major league roster. Those justifications are only enhanced when you consider he is also capable of playing all four infield positions.
2016 Stats: 47 G, 96 PA, 89 AB, 11 R, 20 H, 8 2B, 3 HR, CS, .225/.266/.416
Whereas the aforementioned players primarily rely on their bats, Reynolds is a terrific defensive player. In one game last year, he surprised us all not by playing a representative left field, despite never playing there previously, but also by hitting a monster home run to give the Mets a lead.
2016 Stats: 4 G, 7 PA, 6 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 2 2B, 2 RBI, .333/.429/.667
Cecchini is a promising hitter who should be able to hit for more power as he ages. Despite having all the tools, he has struggled as a shortstop. Those struggles along with the rise of Rosario, Cecchini should find himself playing second base next year. With the increased versatility, he should be able to help the Mets at either second or short if the need arises.
2016 MiLB Stats: 120 G, 527 PA, 479 AB, 65 R, 155 H, 24 2B, 13 3B, 5 HR, 71 RBI, 19 SB, 8 CS, .324/.374/.459
With Rosario it is just a matter of time before the shortstop of the future becomes the Mets everyday shortstop. With a little more seasoning, he may become a superstar. There’s no limit to his talent. He just needs a little more seasoning in Las Vegas. Depending on when or if someone goes down, the Mets may want to call up their best prospect to the majors. Once he gets called up, the Mets are going to have a hard time justifying sending him back down.
As seen above, the Mets are much deeper in the infield than they have been in year’s past when players like Eric Campbell were making the Opening Day roster. In the case of Cecchini and Rosario, one injury may just open the door for them to claim the position not just for 2017 but for years to come.
While the Mets have a terrific Opening Day infield on paper, the infield that may materialize later on into the season may be even better.