Mackey Sasser will forever be known by his distinct, hesitation ridden throws to the pitcher. Should T.J Rivera turn out to be a solid major league player, Sasser should be remembered for getting him there. In fact, it was Sasser that recommended Rivera to the Mets organization. Sasser was Rivera’s collegiate coach, and realized his potential then. As a result, the Mets signed Rivera to a minor league contract. Rivera posted excellent numbers in his climb through the minor leagues. Finally, on August 10th, 2016, he made his debut for the Mets.
In his debut, the Bronx native started at third base, and hit a double at the plate. At this point, no one had any clue what Rivera would contribute to the campaign. He ended up having a positive impact on the team, posting a slash line of .333/.345/.476. In the field he was solid as well, playing games at second base, third base, and even first base. His only errors occured when he was stationed at third. While these numbers are solid, they were only over a stretch of 33 games. So where does Rivera fit in the Mets’ plan for the 2017 season?
It is well known that the Mets currently possess a plethora of infield depth. Aside from the starting infielders, the Mets also have José Reyes, Wilmer Flores, Eric Campbell, Matt Reynolds and T.J Rivera. Out of those five players I expect Reyes to get the most playing time, where he will be filling in for his friend David Wright at third base when he needs back rest. Flores should also see a healthy amount of games, given the fact that he rakes against left-handed pitching. It should be a struggle between Campbell, Reynolds, and Rivera for pinch-hit plate appearances and spot starts. Rivera may struggle to receive time against these other options that Terry Collins has at his hands.
Of course, Rivera may have a strong showing in spring training. He certainly has the potential, as he showed mighty offensive ability in the majors and at the Triple A level. While with the Las Vegas 51s, Rivera slugged 11 home runs and drove in 85 runs while batting .353. To add on to his strong statistics, Rivera is popular amongst many Mets fans due to the fact that he hails from the Bronx. Pride flows through the blood of those who are proud to call T.J a native of the city.
While I am extremely satisfied that Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera will be manning the middle infield for the Mets this year, I do hope that T.J Rivera is able to have a fair opportunity to come off the bench. His statistics have proved that he is more than capable at the plate, and when needed he can also play most infield positions. He earned the opportunity last season, when he came to the majors and hit .333 while driving in 16 runs and hitting three home runs. Although I am not a native of New York, I still understand and the pride that runs deep for T.J Rivera and his New York roots. Here’s to hoping that he gets even more chances this year to make his hometown proud.
Eric Campbell is gone, off to Japan. You could include Cecchini instead.
Eric Campbell is gone so that’s one less and now T.J. Rivera can fit for 2017 and more
Been a fan of TJ’ since H.Lehman HS down the block from where I worked, but…
If Wright is on the active roster PT or FT, 3B or 1B, then it still comes down to one of Granderson, Bruce or Duda to be traded for both Conforto & TJ to be in the majors.
You can get away with 4 OF’s + TJ & Reyes in a pinch, IMO.
For a team that has always struggled offensively, TJ,hopefully, will get a fair shot.
He’s an aggressive bat and he can wear all the if gloves and an of glove…. he’s a perpetual 25th man, and I believe he can be good in that roll
Eric Campbell was released and signed to play in japan.
Hoping TJ makes the team. His versatility & bat should make him a preferable over Reynolds.
Watching TJ play was a pleasure. Played vs Lehman in HS with Hillcrest in Jamaica, in the 80’s ! Rooting for TJ all the way.
Reserve infielders will no doubt be Reyes and Flores, but hope TJ is there as well. Those 3 with Lagares and Rene Rivera at backup C is the bench, possibly can get away with 5 vs 6 early . TJ has a real MLB bat and will get better in the field with more reps. This guy is a sleeper. No guarantee Neil Walker stays after this year. 2b could be up for grabs next year. A good showing in 2016 off the bench and TJ could be manning 2b. Gritty and tough out. Mets need more of that vs the many free swingers that they have.
The Mets have only one open spot on the major league roster and based on his work during September that spot should go to TJ Rivera. It would mean that the Mets would have an unbalanced alignment of three reserve infielders and only one reserve outfielder. TJ is 28 years. old and he is more suited to be a bench player than the younger Nimmo. Injuries are part of major league baseball so TJ will make a good puzzle piece to fit in when needed. His batting approach also lends itself well to pinch hitting. I am bullish that TJ will be a strong bench player in 2017.
Right now that spot doesn’t exist, as the Mets have five outfielders without counting Nimmo. Assuming they trade one of those OF, I’m fine with Rivera getting the final bench spot and the team having an unbalanced bench.
The interesting question to me is – If they don’t trade an OF and Bruce is the starter in RF, do you keep Conforto in the majors or send him to Triple-A to play every day? There’s no clear answer to that and it might mean that Rivera has the inside track to a spot in the majors regardless of what happens in the trade market.
If Bruce stays then they should keep TJ and send Conforto down where he would play everyday instead of occasional use on the Met bench. TJ at age 28 doesn’t have the same ceiling as the younger Conforto, and has graduated from AAA. TJ now needs to maintain his good start and avoid being a AAAA player. Of course, if Conforto is raking this spring better than Bruce then TJ is out of luck and the Mets have a sequel to DeAza II. Hopefully this will be resolved soon.