Musings
Despite the spinal stenosis, David Wright was playing well in 2016. He was hitting .226/.350/.438 with seven homeruns and 14 RBI. He had hit homeruns in three straight games before it was discovered he had a herniated disc in his neck. It was a cruel setback for a player who has worked so hard to get back to this point. It leaves everyone questioning if this is the straw that will break the camel’s back. If it is, or if Wright needs another lengthy stint on the disabled list, the Mets are going to have to find a long term solution to third base.
Internal Options
Wilmer Flores. Going into this season, the Mets tabbed Flores to be the main backup at four infield positions. With Wright needing days off here and there due to the spinal stenosis, it was presumed Flores would play a lot of third base. At the outset, Flores appears to be the player who will get the first crack at the position. However, if he continues hitting .167/.231/.267, the Mets are going to be forced to turn in another direction.
T.J. Rivera. Eric Campbell already had his shot, and he hit .159/.270/.222 leading him to be designated for assignment. Matt Reynolds had a brief call-up and he hit .100/.182/.100 in limited duty. The revolving door has now brought us to Ty Kelly, who is hitting .167/.231/.167 in limited duty. While this triumvirate has been given the opportunities and failed to hit, Rivera stays in AAA hitting .364/.399/.535. Sooner or later, he’s going to get a shot to play in the majors with the way he has been playing.
Gavin Cecchini. The former Mets 2012 first round pick is currently hitting .308/.390/.400 in his first season in AAA. The issue is in his minor league career, Cecchini has only played SS. If he gets called up, the Mets would have to choose between playing him at a position he has never played before or making him the SS while Asdrubal Cabrera moves to third, where he has only played one inning in his major league career.
Dilson Herrera. The Mets could elect to call-up Herrera to play second while sliding their second basemen to third like they have the past few seasons. The issue here is Herrera is not raking in AAA the way he usually does, and Neil Walker hasn’t played third base regularly in his big league career, and he hasn’t played there in six years.
External Options
If you are going to make a move at this point, you are really only going to be able to obtain a player from a team that is completely out of the pennant race, or a player that has been designated for assignment. With the current two Wild Card format, a safe line of demarcation is any team 10 games or more out of first place is out of contention. Looking over the standings, that would mean the Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds (who have nothing of value), and the San Diego Padres. Of course, due consideration should be given to the Oakland Athletics, who are always ready, willing, and able to make a trade.
Trevor Plouffe. Plouffe is one of the many reasons the Twins are having a down year as he is hitting .246/.273/.369. For his career, he’s a .245/.307/.417 hitter. As such, he’s not going to resolve any of the Mets offensive problems. Also, as per UZR and DRS, he has only been an adequate defensive third baseman meaning he doesn’t have the superior defense to carry his bat.
Eduardo Nunez. The former Yankee is having a nice year for the Twins hitting .340/.367/.507 in 42 games. This year he has mostly played third and shortstop. In the event Wright does come back, Nunez can be a valuable utility player. The main issue with the 29 year old Nunez is that he will not be cheap as he still has a couple of cost controlled years before he becomes a free agent in 2018.
Kelly Johnson. Johnson was a valuable bench piece for the Mets last year hitting .250/.304/.414. The benefits are you know he can play in New York, and he should not be expensive. The downside is he’s hitting .218/.279/.307 this year.
Gordon Beckam. While Beckham has never quite lived up to the hype, he is having a good year this year as a utility player for the Braves playing second, third, and short. The career .244/.307/.374 hitter is hitting .293/.393/.446 this year for the Braves. Maybe it’s the small sample size of 30 games, maybe it’s the change to the National League, but Beckham is a better offensive player this year.
Aaron Hill. Hill is having a tremendous year as the Brewers’ third baseman this year hitting .275/.351/436. He’s also capable of played second in his career. The main sticking point with Hill is his salary. He is earning $12 million this year with the Arizona Diamondbacks paying $6.5 million of that. If the Mets were to obtain Hill, they would have to take on the prorated portion of the $5.5 million the Brewers are paying him or part with additional prospects to get the Brewers to eat some of that salary.
Brett Wallace. Wallace is a left-hand hitting third baseman. He has bounced around as he has never reached his full potential at the plate. He has also been a below average fielder wherever he has played, including third base. He seems to have found a home as a Padre these past two seasons. This year he is hitting .219/.379/.381. The issue with him is he’s still a cost-controlled player just entering his arbitration years.
Yangervis Solarte. Former Met Roger Cedeno‘s nephew, Solarte, is hitting .300/.397/.600 this year while playing mostly third base. He is a versatile player with a good bat. He is only making $525,000 this year, and he’s not arbitration eligible until 2017. If you want him, you’re going to have to pry him away from the Padres. Remember, this is the same Padres front office that rejected Michael Fulmer for Justin Upton. Solarte would be a great fit for the Mets, but it is unlikely the Mets are going to be willing to pay the price of what it’ll take to acquire him.
Ruben Tejada. Simply put, Tejada is a major league caliber player that is better suited to playing shortstop. He was a career .255/.320/.323 hitter on the Mets. He played poorly with the Cardinals hitting .176/.225/.235 before being released. He’s better suited for the bench than he is as the third base option. Even if he’s not the third base solution the Mets should claim him and put him on the bench.
Jed Lowrie. Lowrie is in the midst of a good season hitting .309/.351/.360 for the Athletics. He is capable of playing second, third, or shortstop. However, he has little power, and he is in the middle of a relatively large contract that pays him $7.5 million this year and $6 million next year with a team option/buyout in 2018.
Danny Valencia. Valencia is having a terrific year this year hitting .333/.370/.558 while playing third base for the the Athletics. He has an extremely reasonable $3.15 million salary this year. However, that is part of the problem. He has a reasonable salary this year, and he is under team control until 2018. Given the way Billy Beane does business, he will be extremely expensive.
Overall, that is the problem. If Wright is really going to miss a significant amount of time for the second straight season, the Mets are going to need a real long term solution. If the Mets enter the trade market and pay high prices for good, quality players like Solarte and Valencia. For the most part, you are looking to trade with a Brewers franchise you cancelling a trade with last year, or a Padres or Athletics team that really drives a hard bargain. That leaves the Mets in a very difficult situtation. Therefore, for the time being, the most prudent course might be to see if Flores can handle the position defensively and offensively. If he doesn’t the Mets will need to make a big trade just like they did last year. If that time should come, hopefully, they will have the pieces necessary to make that happen.
Editor’s Note: this was also published on metsmerizedonline.com
When the Mets decided to move on from Daniel Murphy, the team was gambling on two players – Dilson Herrera and Wilmer Flores.
The Mets doubled down on both with the Neil Walker acquisition. Walker only has a one year deal, and he only plays second base. He’s the proverbial stopgap who gives Herrera another year to develop in the minors before taking over second base next year.
When the Mets had Murphy, he could shift to first or third as needed. A David Wright or Lucas Duda injury would lead to Murphy moving over and Herrera, or someone else, playing second. With Walker stuck at second, the Mets needed someone who could play at each infield position – and play well. This was all the more important as Wright, and to a lesser extent Duda, have back problems. With Murphy gone, the Mets decided to lean on Wilmer Flores to take over that role.
With Wright waiting to see how he feels from an injection he received in his neck due to a herniated disc, the Mets’ gamble on Flores is once again highlighted. So far, the gamble hasn’t worked. In 22 games, he’s hitting .172/.238/.276. He has a -0.4 WAR, 46 OPS+, and a 49 wRC+. He’s spent almost three weeks on the DL with a strained left hamstring.
To be fair, Flores hasn’t received regular playing time. He didn’t receive multiple starts in a row until May 8th – 10th, and that’s when Flores was dealing with the aforementioned hamstring injury. He played three games in a row since he came off the DL, and he has gone 1-10. Not good, but also too soon to judge.
However, depending on how Wright responds to the injection in his neck, the Mets may need Flores to become the full time third basemen. When the Mets let Murphy walk, this became the plan. The Mets put Flores in a position to be the everyday third basemen should Wright miss an extended period of time. With Wright’s spinal stenosis, this was always a very real possibility. The discussion about the Mets testing the third base trade market ignores this fact.
If the Mets are eventually forced to make a trade for a third basemen, it means it all went wrong. It means Wright broke down. Furthermore, it means Flores failed. Lastly, it means the Mets gamble failed.
When the Mets decided to move on from Daniel Murphy, the team was gambling on two players – Dilson Herrera and Wilmer Flores.
The Mets doubled down on both with the Neil Walker acquisition. Walker only has a one year deal, and he only plays second base. He’s the proverbial stopgap who gives Herrera another year to develop in the minors before taking over second base next year.
When the Mets had Murphy, he could shift to first or third as needed. A David Wright or Lucas Duda injury would lead to Murphy moving over and Herrera, or someone else, playing second. With Walker stuck at second, the Mets needed someone who could play at each infield position – and play well. This was all the more important as Wright, and to a lesser extent Duda, have back problems. With Murphy gone, the Mets decided to lean on Wilmer Flores to take over that role.
With Wright waiting to see how he feels from an injection he received in his neck due to a herniated disc, the Mets’ gamble on Flores is once again highlighted. So far, the gamble hasn’t worked. In 22 games, he’s hitting .172/.238/.276. He has a -0.4 WAR, 46 OPS+, and a 49 wRC+. He’s spent almost three weeks on the DL with a strained left hamstring.
To be fair, Flores hasn’t received regular playing time. He didn’t receive multiple starts in a row until May 8th – 10th, and that’s when Flores was dealing with the aforementioned hamstring injury. He played three games in a row since he came off the DL, and he has gone 1-10. Not good, but also too soon to judge.
However, depending on how Wright responds to the injection in his neck, the Mets may need Flores to become the full time third basemen. When the Mets let Murphy walk, this became the plan. The Mets put Flores in a position to be the everyday third basemen should Wright miss an extended period of time. With Wright’s spinal stenosis, this was always a very real possibility. The discussion about the Mets testing the third base trade market ignores this fact.
If the Mets are eventually forced to make a trade for a third basemen, it means it all went wrong. It means Wright broke down. Furthermore, it means Flores failed. Lastly, it means the Mets gamble failed.
Eric Campbell made the team out of Spring Training. He’s hitting .159/.270/.226 in 30 games. He has a -0.2 WAR, 39 OPS+, and a 47 wRC+.
Matt Reynolds was briefly called-up to to injuries. In eight games, he hit .100/.182/.100. It’s a very short sample size, but he has a – 0.1 WAR, -20 OPS+, and a -15 wRC+ player. Before his call-up, he was only hitting .238/.303/.369 in AAA. In 2014, he hit .267/.319/.412.
Ty Kelly was also called-up due to injuries. In five games, he has hit .091/.167/.091. It’s a very short sample size, but he’s a -0.2 WAR, -26 OPS+, and a -23 wRC+ player. Last year in AAA, he hit .236/.322/.296. There have been four other organizations that gave up on him before the Mets signed him to a minor league deal.
These are the three players the Mets have deemed more major league worthy than T.J. Rivera.
This is no fault of Rivera. Rivera has done everything the Mets could possibly ask. He has improved as a hitter each and every year at each and every level. Last year, he hit .306/.345/.443 in AAA. So far this year, he is hitting .374/.409/.549.
Rivera has also become a very versatile player. In college, he played second and third. During his time in the minors, he has played second and third while also becoming an adequate defender at first and short. This past week, in an effort to become even more versatile and attractive to the Mets, he has begun playing left field.
There are some holes in Rivera’s game. He has doubles power. He doesn’t work the count well. He may play multiple positions, but he’s not a plus defender at any of those positions. So yes, there are some flaws, but you know what? These are the same flaws that Campbell, Reynolds, and Kelly have. The only thing that separates Rivera from these players is they got a shot, and he didn’t. That and Rivera has been a much better hitter in the minors than the other three players.
The Mets have World Series aspirations. They cannot keep trotting out players who hit WELL UNDER the Mendoza Line. The Mets have to do something as Campbell, Reynolds, and Kelly have squandered their opportunities. There are more excuses. The Mets have to call up Rivera.
Editor’s Note: this was first published on metsminors.net
Yesterday, Matt Harvey may have turned his whole season around. His velocity, command, and swagger were back. Much of it had to do with the Mets finally spotting his mechanical flaw and fixing it. Another factor that wasn’t mentioned yesterday was it was the first time Rene Rivera caught Matt Harvey.
Rivera is a veteran journeyman catcher. He’s a great receiver that calls a good game. He is adept at both pitch framing and throwing out base stealers. He has a cannon throwing 34.4% of would be basestealers, which is second only to Yadier Molina among active catcher with 250+ stolen base attempts. From behind the plate, Rivera controls the game. He is a calm and steady presence back there.
This is what a young pitching staff needs more than anything. It’s what Gary Carter did for the 86 Mets. It’s what Rivera did for the Rays.
With the Rays, Rivera had been part of the development of their young pitchers, specifically Chris Archer. With Rivera behind the plate, Archer limited batters to a 93 OPS+. With all the other catchers, who have caught him, batters have a 100 OPS+ against Archer. The young Archer was just a better pitcher with the veteran behind the plate.
We’re seeing it again with Rivera and Noah Syndergaard. In the limited time, they’ve worked together, Syndergaard has limited batters to an 87 OPS+. In the four games, they have been combined, Syndergaard has a 1.54 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. Part of that is Rivera controlling the game behind the plate. Part of that is Rivera controlling the running game allowing Syndergaard to just focus on the batter.
The results with Archer and Syndergaard show Rivera’s value. We may have seen it again with Harvey yesterday. Seeing how Rivera handles a young staff, it’s hard to justify not playing him everyday.
In fact, the only excuse is his offense. He’s a career .209/.258/.329 hitter with a 64 OPS+. This year, he’s hitting an even worse .148/.281/.259 with a 50 OPS+. Given the Mets offensive problems, it’s hard to justify putting this bat in the lineup everyday. Unfortunately, Plawecki isn’t a stumbling block.
For the second straight year, Kevin Plawecki has struggled in Travis d’Arnaud’s absence. He’s hitting .196/.292/.272 with a 57 OPS+. He’s actually worse than he was last year when he had the excuse of getting called to the majors too soon and experiencing dizzy spells during games. Right now, Plawecki is showing the Mets that he either belongs in the minor leagues, or he is nothing more than a backup catcher.
Given the comparable OPS+ figures, Rivera and Plawecki are effectively the same person at the plate. With that said, the Mets should play the catcher who is better and handling a pitching staff and controlling the running game. There is no doubt that is Rene Rivera. It’s time for the Mets to make Rivera the everyday catcher until Travis d’Arnaud returns.
Editor’s Note: this was also published on metsmerizedonline.com
In the 2013 Homerun Derby, Mets fans got a chance to see Yoenis Cespedes’ awe inspiring power. During Cespedes’ display of his potencia, he would hit 23 homers beating Bryce Harper for the title.
On that stage, Cespedes showed himself to have outstanding power. However, it never fully translated to games. In his first three seasons, he only averaged 24 homers and a .464 slugging. He was never Top 10 in the American League in either catergory. His isolated power over those three seasons was a very good .201. However, seeing Cespedes in that homerun derby, you just knew that he was capable of more.
Maybe he needed to get out of ballparks like O.co or Commerica. Maybe he needed to play in a big market. Maybe, just maybe, he needed to set foot back in Citi Field.
As reported by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, Cespedes feels comfortable and at home as a member of the Mets. Cespedes said, “I’ve said as much as I got here last year, it feels very much at home here.” His manager Terry Collins agrees saying, “[Cespedes] wants to play in New York City, and that says a lot, because a lot of guys would shy away from that challenge.”
Upon setting foot upon the New York stage, Cespedes looked at home. He rose to the challenge. In just 57 games, he hit .287/.337/.604 with 17 homers. Extrapolating that over the course of a full 162 game season, Cespedes would’ve hit 48 homeruns. The 48 homeruns would’ve led the league, and the slugging would’ve been good for second in the league. The .314 isolated power was off the charts good.
The only thing more amazing than Cespedes’ run after the trade deadline is the run he’s on to start the 2016 season.
This year, Cespedes is hitting .281/.358/.611. with 15 homers in 46 games. He’s leading the majors in homers. His .330 isolated power is even better than it was last year. He’s on pace to hit 58 homers. While these numbers seem unbelievable, it is quickly becoming what is expected from Cespedes. Assistant GM John Ricco said, “I hope it’s sustainable. Whether it is or not, we’ll see. But he’s certainly proven over his time with us that he is that level of player.”
Cespedes is that level of player now because he continues to put the work in that is necessary to raise his game. As his hitting coach Kevin Long says, “Its hard to say this and not sound arrogant about a certain player, but he’s getting better. He’s really understanding his self, his swing, his strike zone, what pitches he does more damage on. He’s maturing as a player.”
Cespedes agrees with Long’s statements saying, “You don’t usually seeing someone at this age make adjustments. However, when you meet someone in this league that’s 29 or 30, they’ve probably also been playing longer than the five years that I have. So I think if they feel they need to make adjustments, they probably make them earlier in life.”
With these adjustments, Cespedes has vaulted himself among the best players in the game. Collins puts it perfectly as he says, “He’s a star. He’s a good player. He does what stars do.”
Cespedes had to come to the Mets to become a star. He had to come to the Mets to unlock his full potential. Cespedes belongs in a Mets uniform. Cespedes said it himself when he said, “It feels as if I’ve been playing here a very long time. And I could spend the rest of my life with this team.”
Editor’s Note: this was first published on metsmerizedonline.com
Last year, the Mets watched their lead in the NL East dissipate while the front office failed to make a move to address some big holes. The biggest of those was third base due to the discovery David Wright suffered from spinal stenosis. No one could accurately pinpoint whether Wright could return or be an effective player.
Despite this, the Mets allowed Eric Campbell play the majority of games at third base in Wright’s absence. Worse yet, due to a rash of injuries, he was hitting in the middle of the lineup. The Mets were fortunate the season didn’t come off the rails before they started making moves. The moves started with getting Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson. At a minimum, they were two bona fide major league players. Their acquisition helped turn the Mets season around.
This year’s Mets team is not in the same dire straits as the 2015 team. However, with Lucas Duda‘s stress fracture, they once again have to deal with a player’s back putting them on the DL. They’ve also had to deal with a Campbell playing the majority of the games in the injured player’s stead. No more.
https://twitter.com/theloney_s/status/736618457119096832
On Saturday, the Mets obtained James Loney from the Padres for cash considerations. The only thing that needs to happen for this trade to be a success is for Loney to hit better than the .169/.286/.255 Campbell is hitting. As a career .285/.338/.411 hitter, Loney should be able to accomplish that. Overall, the real question with Loney isn’t if he’s better; the real question is what can Mets fans expect.
For starters, the Mets are getting a player in decline. In each of the past three three years his batting average, OBP, and slugging declined. Last year, he only hit .280/.332/.357 with four homers in 104 games. Regardless of his struggles last year, he’s a platoon bat that has hit .254/.302/.351 against lefties. It was even worse last year with him hitting .226/.258/.310 against lefties.
Loney’s defense has also declined. He was once considered a good defender at first, but the numbers over recent years suggest he’s living on his reputation. For the better part of three years, his defense has declined. Last year, he posted a -2.4 UZR, -2 DRS, and a -0.7 dWAR. In essence, he went from a good to very good first baseman to slightly below par.
From this, you can see why the Rays released their second highest paid player in Spring Training. You can see why he could only get a minor league deal. The Mets were very fortunate that was the case. Despite all of Loney’s faults, he’s still better than what the Mets had.
Who knows? Maybe Loney has a renaissance. Maybe his working with Kevin Long will help him hit better. Whatever the case, he’s bound to hit better than Campbell. Whatever the case, he’s going to be the Mets best first base option until Duda returns.
Last year, the Mets didn’t make this move. They did this year, and the team is a lot better off for it. No matter what his faults are, Loney is a terrific addition.
After some time has passed, I’ve had some time to think about this play:
https://vine.co/v/iV7BtntdvT7
Here are some quick thoughts:
1. This Is What MLB Wants
Despite, the 1986 team being there, it’s no longer 1986. For those of us who grew up with that style of ball, Noah Syndergaard getting tossed was an absolute joke. With that said, baseball supposedly wants this out of the sport, and as such, maybe we shouldn’t have been so surprised at the ejection.
2. Thor’s Ejection Was Still Unusual
With that said, as Ken Rosenthal pointed out, throwing at someone, absent warnings, does not lead to ejections even in today’s modern game. There are many examples where Syndergaard’s pitch doesn’t lead to a quick hook. Syndergaard’s ejection was the outlier.
3. Thor Is to Blame for the Ejection
Syndergaard threw the ball in an area where it wouldn’t hit or injure Chase Utley. In many ways, that’s more responsible than drilling someone. However, it’s also proof that Syndergaard was unequivocally throwing at Utley. He put a minor league umpire in a position where he could eject Syndergaard. So yes, as absurd as it sounds, the better course of action would’ve been to hit Utley where there could have been some ambiguity.
4. Thor’s Pitch Was Weak
This was shades of Shawn Estes. Utley broke Ruben Tejada‘s leg, so you make sure you don’t hit him? This isn’t some 22 year old rookie who pimped a homerun. You’re not looking to send a message. No, you’re looking to get your pound of flesh as retaliation. You either plunk Utley, or you don’t bother. Instead, Utley knew that not even the enforcer of the Mets rotation wouldn’t hit him, and he went off with a two homerun (one grandslam) five RBI game.
5. The Timing Was Odd
This was the sixth and penultimate game between these two teams. This was Syndergaard’s second start against the Dodgers. There were plenty of chances to hit Utley. Why now? Did a member of the 86 Mets get in Syndergaard’s ear? Was Syndergaard waiting to do it in front of the home crowd? Did Terry Collins finally give the go-ahead? Perhaps, we will never know.
At this point, the only thing we know is nothing was accomplished. Nothing was resolved. Bad blood still remains. Utley is laughing at the Mets. Despite the feeble attempt to intimidate Utley, Syndergaard most likely maintains his mystique as a pitcher who will not be afraid to knock you down. The umpires in baseball still think we pay to watch them instead of players like Syndergaard.
In the fourth inning, Neil Walker ripped what appeared to be a double down the first base line. Or was it? No one quite knew initially as the first base umpire, Crew Chief Tom Hallion, failed to make the call.
He didn’t make the call because, as he was trying to get out of the way of the ball, he didn’t get to see where the ball landed. He looked to the homeplate umpire, Adam Hamari, to see if he saw where the ball landed. As Walker was rounding first and heading to second, Hallion got the call from Hamari. It was a foul ball. This call was made as a result of two umpires conferring with one another while the play was happening.
It’s strange that Hallion conferred with another umpire on the play because according to him, calls need to be made immediately regardless of whether or not they are the right call.
You see, when Hallion was questioned post-game about Hamari’s quick ejection of Noah Syndergaard, he said, “We have to make a snap decision. We can’t think about, ok, well this guy did this or he did that in game six of whatever. We don’t have enough time to think that way.” (Adam Rubin, ESPN). It’s absurd.
When Syndergaard threw behind Utley, the umpires had three choices: (1) eject Syndergaard; (2) issue a warning to both teams; or (3) do nothing. No matter what the decision the umpires make, it’s going to impact the game. Doing nothing invites the Dodgers to retaliate. Issuing a warning may cause the pitchers to be skittish scout throwing inside. Ejecting Syndergaard would have a profound impact on that game that would seriously alter the Mets chances of winning the game.
Now, if you’re going to make a decision that could have a profound impact on the game, shouldn’t a discussion, no matter how brief, take place? There was time. It was a dead ball. No one was on base. Keep in mind, this is the same crew that just one inning later CONFERRED DURING A PLAY! It’s irrational and inconsistent to say a snap decision needs to be made when there’s a dead ball but you can take your time while there is a play happening.
In the end, they should endeavor to get the calls correct. That includes ejections. Not every ejection requires umpires to confer. Arguing balls and strikes, cursing at an umpire, or making contact with an umpire is grounds for immediate ejection. However, ejecting Syndergaard wasn’t automatic. It was a judgment call. It was a judgment call that not only had an impact on this game, but also the Mets bullpen for the next few games.
The umpires took time to get the Walker call right. They also should’ve taken the time to get the Syndergaard call right. They didn’t, and they made a bad decision because throwing out a player requires a snap decision whereas judging whether a ball is fair or foul requires time.
In what was presumably a cost-cutting measure, the Mets released Ruben Tejada during Spring Training. As a result, the Mets started the season with Eric Campbell on the Opening Day roster and suspect organizational depth behind him.
When Lucas Duda went down with a stress fracture in his low back, the Mets depth issues were exposed. Campbell has started in 14 of the Mets past 18 games. He’s hitting .182 on the season. The only reason why he’s playing every day is because Wilmer Flores is on the DL and the Mets other two options, Matt Reynolds and Ty Kelly, are even more underwhelming than Campbell. The Mets needs to get better and soon.
The obvious, and most likely answer, is Flores, once he comes off the DL. Assuming he does turn around his thus far disappointing season and take over the first base job in Duda’s absence, the Mets still need to replace his role as super sub. The Mets still need someone who can play semi-regularly at third when David Wright sits. Campbell, Reynolds, and Kelly are not the answer. None of them are capable major league starters. None of them are as good as Tejada.
As per ESPN’s Mark Saxson, Tejada was designated for assignment by the Cardinals giving them 10 days to trade him, release him, put him on waivers, or outright him to the minors (which he could refuse). Therefore, there’s a 10 day window (or more) where Tejada is available. The Mets should re-acquire him.
If Tejada were to come back, the Mets bench would be drastically improved. In his last two years with the Mets, he averaged 118 games while hitting .249/.340/.330. He played second, third, and short. While working with Kevin Long last year, he hit .287/.362/.362 in the second half. He wrestled the starting shortstop position away from Flores, the same Flores the Mets are relying upon heavily this year.
This year, the Mets don’t need Tejada to take over the shortstop position. Instead, the Mets need to strengthen their bench with capable major league players. The only obstacle to adding Tejada would be money, and at the prorated amount of $1.5 million, which was half of the contract the Mets had tendered him, money shouldn’t be an obstacle. No, there are no reasonable excuses for the Mets to pass on Tejada.
Tejada will soon need a place to play, and the Mets need major league players. The Mets should bring back Tejada.