Everybody’s favorite pinch and clutch hitter extraordinaire-and always the man right now-Jordany Valdespin, deserves a better fate than by being just a platoon/matchups type player.
Valdespin has proven he has the appropriate feel and moxie for the game and right now the stats are showing it. As of Friday, July 27 Valdespin is sporting a .286/.314/.571 line which equates to an impressive .885 OPS. He also has seven home runs in only 98 at-bats.
The only problem for Valdespin is finding a position to get him some regular playing time.
Valdespin’s natural position is at second base, but with Daniel Murphy residing over there and with him in the midst of hot streak and solid season overall, it’s not likely that Valdespin will get regular playing time there.
Valdespin can also play all outfield positions, but with a rotation that includes Jason Bay, Andres Torres, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Scott Hairston and eventually Lucas Duda once again, Valdespin is often jockeying with the others while biding his time.
There are two options that the Mets should consider to get Valdespin regular playing time:
Either trade Daniel Murphy while the iron is hot (but not for middle reliever) and get Valdespin regular time there, or do the right thing and bench Jason Bay for good (I assume cutting him is out of the equation).
If the Mets can’t get fair value for Murphy, and that’s looking like the case, then Valdespin should get playing time in leftfield.
With Valdespin being a lefty and with the club already sporting a very lefty-heavy lineup, if you start Valdespin then it is imperative that you start Hairston in right to mix up the lineup.
In any event Valdespin deserves more time. It is important to his growth as a player to be getting everyday at-bats. If the Mets are not going to give him the at-bats up in the majors, then maybe they should send him down to Buffalo so he can get routine playing time.
But that’s not what Mets’ fans want and it’s not a position I endorse. We all want to see more of Valdespin and his flair for the dramatic and passion for the game.
With the season heading south, Valdespin’s talents should be on full display as the Mets should get to know what they are dealing with. By Valdespin receiving erratic at-bats right now, the Mets can’t accurately gauge the true value of his worth.
Valdespin will always give you energy, and that is something the Mets desperately need right now.
So, come hell or high water, if the Mets want some passion and energy for the rest of the year, while also figuring how Valdespin fits into the future plans of the team, it would behoove the club for him to get regular playing time.
That’s the least Valdespin –The Man Right Now-deserves at this moment
Follow me on Twitter @Stacdemon
The Mets currently have 7 outfielders on their 40 man roster of which 4 may contribute to 2013, Kirk,Valdespin,Baxter and Duda. Two probably will not be resigned, Torres and Hairston and one they are stuck with, Bay. If the Mets keep playing Bay over Hairston then they may as well trade Hairston. If they don’t trade Hairston then they should cut Bay. The team keeps saying Baxter will be back on 7/30 but I say wait until the 1st to see how the roster plays out before the trade deadline. No matter what, Valdespin, Kirk and Baxter should be starting against every righty. If Duda starts ripping at AAA then he can take Kirk’s spot. In any case, Bay appears to be taking up roster space that a transition team needs for evaluation. The second reality is that a strong right side hitting RF is needed for 2013.
I think Nieuwenhuis should be playing everyday and getting experience versus LHP. But he should be doing it in Buffalo.
Yeah,I don’t get why Duda was sent down insttead of Kirk.I gues it is because he has completely lost his confidence(something the Met broadcasters say was in short supply for him in the best of times).Kirk needs playing time to straighten his game out and he isn’t getting it at the major league level.Valdespin is talented but I worry that he just will never walk enough ,be selective enough to amount to anything.
I agree, but the same could be said for Valdespin. He looked very comfortable in right field last night, but he needs the at bats.
It’s hard to predict, but I like Valdespin’s upside more than Nieuwenhuis”.
I’m a fan of Valdespin getting regular playing time in the OF, the only thing working against him is that he bats left-handed, and we know, the Mets have a surplus of lefty hitters in their lineup
What’s this talk of trading Murphy? Why would the Mets trade their most consistent hitter over the past two years, who plays with passion, has greatly improved his fielding and is consistent clutch performer? The Mets should simply play their best players, not trade them. The payroll stays the same whether Bay plays or not. So given a constant payroll, put the best team on the field. Hairston, Valdespin, and Baxter seem to be the best three outfielders from a hitting standpoint. Torres and Bay can back up and pinch hit, though probably the best thing to do with Bay is send him down to Buffalo and let him play every day to see if he can recover from what ails him. If he can’t play at Buffalo, let him go. Sometimes you need to confess error and move on. Valdespin and Baxter are paid very little so they can soothe the wound of Bay’s salary. And speaking of consistent, clutch hitters, how about having Justin Turner start taking fly balls in the outfield? This guy has proven he should be given more playing time, but he clearly can’t replace any of the starting infielders. But maybe he can learn to play the outfield. It would be great for him to be playing on a regular basis.