It was pretty evident from the beginning of this season that the Mets were not committed to offering Daniel Murphy a long-term deal, and were set on parting ways after this year. After an explosive playoffs, the organization offered their second baseman a qualifying offer, which Murphy did not sign, and elected to become a free agent. The Mets acquired Neil Walker from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jon Niese, and Murphy would go on to sign with the Washington Nationals. Although Walker figures to be the starting second baseman, but his performance against left-handed pitchers needs to improve if he is deserving an everyday position.
The Mets have plenty of players they can choose to play second base, so what should the plan be for handling second base?
The Starter, Neil Walker: Sandy Alderson loves power bats in the lineup, and Walker has provided plenty of pop the past couple of seasons, as he has hit 12 or more homers over the past six seasons. In 2014, he won a Sliver Slugger for the second base position, so it shows he is one of the best offensive second baseman in the league.
As previously stated, Walker struggles against left-handed pitchers. His OBP was under .300, and he did not hit a homerun as a right-handed hitter this past season. Even his SLG was under .300, which is not a good sign for the Mets if they plan to play him every day.
The Backup, Wilmer Flores: The folk hero of the 2015 New York Mets. Granted, Flores was the shortstop last season, and will likely be the utility player off the bench this season. Against lefties, Flores hit .310 with 7 homers and 16 RBIs in a 100 AB this season. If Terry Collins decides to give Walker a break against a left-handed pitcher, Flores is definitely going to get a spot start at second base. Flores will probably be getting plenty of starts throughout this season, which should keep his game fresh.
The Wild Card, Dilson Herrera: The Mets have quite a nice player waiting in the wings, and it is another player who used to be on the Pirates. Herrera put up a great year in Triple-A Las Vegas, as he hit .327 with 11 homers and 50 RBIs in 81 games. Even from his sample size in the big leagues, we have seen that Herrera has pop in his bat, can run a decent amount, and has had some decent fielding plays. If Flores or Walker get injured, it would not be surprising to see Herrera get called up and get some playing time and experience, as it seems he is the long-term solution at second base.
The Mets have plenty of options in the infield, and especially at second base. Herrera is going to need seasoning throughout the season if he is going to take over the position over the long haul. Walker is a nice one-year pickup as the Mets will remain competitive throughout the next year. We will see plenty of Flores throughout the season, and possibly some other minor leaguers such as Matt Reynolds. Either way, the Mets have options and second base, and it will be interesting to see how Terry Collins manages this position throughout the season.
Walker just got a 10.55M$ deal. He is playing second base unless Utley assaults him as well.
Flores, whose best position is 2B by my estimation, will get back up and off day starts, but not much. I have a tough time seeing him get 250+ AB this season, unless DW goes down, at which point my fear is that he will get time there (if you didnt like Flores at SS, wait til you see him at 3B and wildly bouncing every throw to 1B). Tejada will be the back up at SS, and will also struggle to get many ABs.
Herrera is a chip in the game for sure. On the cheap side, he is the heir apparent, for good reasons. He also is a solid trade chip should that be needed.
You make a good point about the money that Walker is being paid. Alderson spoke about Flores getting 400 ABs, but that’s hard to imagine with the money factor, as well as Collins as manager.
What are the fielding stats for Flores at 3B in the minors?
I disagree that the Mets will try to use Walker every day if he is struggling vs lefties. I expect both Flores and Tejada to get numerous starts at 2B against lefty starters.
I think you’ll see Flores, Tejada and Cabrera all spend time at second this year. If Walker sits, can start either Ruben or Adrubal at SS.
I wonder how different the offseason is if Murphy takes the qualifying offer. Do they keep Niese or look to trade him for something else? If they keep him, do they look to sign Colon as a bullpen arm, with the knowledge he can be moved into rotation if there’s an injury? Do they still sign De Aza or is that money no longer available? Would Kirk Nieuwenhuis be considered acceptable for anything besides 5th OF status? Would they still have pursued Zobrist?
Edit: Would Murphy returning made them look for a more defensive oriented SS?
I think Niese had become enough of a malcontent that his time was up. he would have been traded for someone else, exactly to who and for what position we wil never know, but looking at the other moves, it would seem an OF would have been likely.
Am I the only person terrifed about 3B?
I’m a bit concerned about the corner IF spots but more so about 1st. But now Ceciliani has been dealt to Toronto so perhaps something is brewing there.
It is a credible arguement to platoon Walker at second base with Flores. Walker has a career .656 OPS vs LHP. The problem is that in his career, Flores has a .692 OPS vs LHP, although in his most recent season he was much stronger, as the author pointed out. Going into 2016, it may be good to split the starts vs LHP between Walker and Flores and see which player earns the starts as the season goes on. Walker with his career .801 OPS vs RHP should always start when there is a righty on the mound.
Walker will be a free agent, so one must assume great motivation. He should get first crack at the entire job with Flores spelling him maybe once every ten games. Then, Flores can play 3B about twice a week. That’s 52 games. Give him another 12 games against lefties at 1B. So, now we are at 52+16+12=80 games. Add in a few starts at SS and an injury here and there, and 400 at bats is pretty realistic.
End the madness. Murphy was a full time 2B. Walker is a full time 2B, with a higher career OPS+. Flores is a guy who is a back-up infielder without a positional home. The Mets just settled on a bit under 11M$ for the year to get a guy who averages 130-140 games a year — at a time when the Mets are playing from pitch 1 for the post season. How much time is Flores getting at 2B? Not much, nor should he. Compare the career stats for these two guys. Walker finished 5th in RoY, and has a recent silver slugger. He is a career second baseman. The team would be insane to take a highly respected, career, every day major leaguer and platoon him with a guy that is lesser in every respect.
Chris, what do you have against Flores? As a matter of fact, I gave 146 games to Walker, even more than you did. Lesser in every respect? Are you guys serious with this venom for a first time full time player that is 23, got more comfortable playing SS which isn’t even his best position, and showed potential 20 HR power from a middle infielder that can still improve average wise?
You love Tejada, but he has been a full time player for five years and has shown no ability to improve. Walker has been a regular for six years and his track record tells you what he is. What did you want to see from Flores his first full year that you didn’t?
What is it with everybody?
My question to you Gus, is why advocate for Flores who cannot stick as an every day major leaguer. His offense is nothing special (.263/.295/.408 in 2015) and his defense is sub par. The game on the left side is far too fast for his limited range, slow speed, and weak arm. At 2b, in walker you have a guy that has performed very will and gonna give you .70 more in OPS and make way less errors.
I don’t love Tejada. I still view SS as a premier defensive spot, and the long and short of it is that Tejada is a much better shortstop.
This is a World Series directed team, and you don’t get there by starting players at positions where they don’t excel.
Chris, thank you for asking as it will allow me to clarify. I’m not advocating for Flores as much as I’m advocating the anti-Tejada campaign, as Tejada is a player I don’t deem to be MLB caliber. I have heard many big leaguers in various sports say that the difference between their first full year and their second, was tremendous in terms of being able to relax. Let’s look at Flores:
1. Very, Very Important: He’s playing for a manager that does not like him and supports the other guy (a scrub middle infielder like Collins was. Ironically, until Flores showed up, Tejada was always in Collins’ doghouse. Remember?). Tejada is usually playing against crappier pitchers, Collins refused to play him the previous year until Alderson met with Collins on August 3, 2014 and all of a sudden Flores was playing often (until he got hurt again) where before that he just rotted on the bench, not to mention Collins’ constant belittling Flores in the newspapers; and don’t think all this is not realized by Flores.
2. Very Important: He’s playing a position that he hasn’t played in a while and has read everywhere that he can’t play it, so he feels added pressure to disprove this.
3. Important: He is trying to adjust to everyday player in MLB, certainly a different tax on the body than the minors do, especially with the rest offered in the minors. He made 6 errors his first month, 4 the first 15 days of the second month, and only 2 the rest of the season. Not bad, huh?
Now, if he doesn’t step up his game this year, then I will not be defending his like this.
This is the problem, and he makes a lot of them.
Flores will get 350 plus ab’s, very easily. He will play 1b for 15 or so games….he will rotate at 2b and 3b…pinch hit…double switch (nopt that he’s a defensive switch, but situationally). He will be a very good fit for that role.
Tejada will often remain anchored to the bench—sure to get some starts for readiness…he may enter the game as a late replacement at ss/2b….. he’s an end of game switch on many nights when Flores is starting.
The IF can absorb a “Lesser DW”…even an injured DW. They have a great IF assortment for a “Now Team”.
The only way Flores gets 350+ ABs is if Wright or possibly Duda spends a month or more on the DL. He’s not going to get them spotting around the diamond, especially not with a manager known for playing his regulars as much as possible. To get that many PA, he’s going to have to start at least 75 games. Last year, Tejada had 407 PA and started 94 games. TDA had 268 PA and started 64 games (virtually no PH/defensive replacement). In 2014, EY had 316 PA and 67 games started.
I think Walker should be platooned but I agree with Chris in that I don’t think they’re going to do that. And even if they did platoon, I see no guarantee that Flores gets all of the starts. If Tejada sticks on the roster, I see him and not Flores getting time at SS when Cabrera gets a day off or removed mid-game.
If you had to wager on any player on the Mets getting injured, you would pick Wright as one of your top two choices, so it’s not unreasonable to assume that Flores will get the playing time you project. But if Wright stays relatively healthy, Flores gets fewer than 50 starts and closer to 250 PA.
Agreed Brian.
Also, keep in mind Campbell is still a Met. If DW goes down and the issue is solved internally, Soup will (thankfully) get more starts at 3B than Flores, who is almost wholly unsuitable for the position. He’s slow, has no range, and has a weak arm.
http://www.faketeams.com/2015/2/17/8048901/wilmer-flores-is-a-potential-20-hr-shortstop-and-that-deserves-your
Here is what Baseball Prospectus labeled as Flores’ strengths and weaknesses prior to last season:
Strengths: Good feel for hitting; excellent hand/eye; added strength in 2013; power likely to play solid-average to plus; run producer; can catch up to velocity; hands to find contact when he’s fooled; arm is left-side strong; soft hands; fluid actions; good footwork around the bag at second.
Weaknesses: Well below-average run; range isn’t sufficient for shortstop; aggressive approach at the plate; can get himself out early; hit tool might only play to average; game power could play down without approach refinement.
BP projects Flores’ ceiling as an above average regular, and concludes:
At the plate, Flores is going to hit for power; it’s just a matter of time and a question of how much. He has a knack for putting the barrel on the ball, with excellent hand/eye coordination and improving strength in his body that allows him to get extension and drive the ball to right-center. This is a very legit player, and this will be true even if he struggles in a longer major-league look in 2014.
Hitting: Plus raw power
BP labeled Flores’ raw power as plus prior to 2012. Game power is different than raw power; the ability to hit MLB caliber pitching for power is a lot different than showcasing big power in batting practice. Flores’ game power projection was upgraded to potential plus prior to the 2014 season.
While it’s hard to find scouting reports that even mention his arm, here’s another one by John Sickels:
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/1/30/3931390/wilmer-flores-new-york-mets-scouting-report
Mets fans have been hearing about Wilmer Flores since the days of Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman, or so it seems anyway. Despite all the hype and attention he’s received, he is still only 21 years old. Flores has always made contact well, but he’s gradually improved his feel for the strike zone and began maturing into his power last year. Although scouts still wonder exactly how many home runs he’ll hit, there’s no question that he’s made real progress. Flores moved off shortstop last year and performed adequately at both third base and second base. His arm works just fine at third and he doesn’t make an excessive number of errors, but his range is mediocre. His bat profiles better at second base, but he probably lacks the requisite quickness to play there long-term. He doesn’t run well enough to be an attractive outfield option, but will he hit enough to play first base? Obviously, there are still a lot of questions about Flores, but his stock with the bat has definitely rebounded. Grade B+.
When he played third, we never questioned his arm. However, maybe being afraid to let loose for overthrows left the kid to bounce them to Duda? The previous four year SS is a stiff, and he gets much love for some reason. Can we give a one year player any benefit of doubt?
I believe Flores will get at least 30 starts at 3b…. and my bet is that Wright is at 125 games and Under. I would not want a gun to my head on an over-under for DW! He should get 15-25 starts at 2b….and 10 or more at first. Add PH and Double switch AB’s.
Situational Baseball—I expect them to begin exploiting their platoon differentials and avoiding their platoon exposures. Flores showed a highly weighted advantage versus LHP in 2015. I believe he came in to definition in 2015— I believe we now know what he is, and that he can be very useful. The “Roamer Position” is a great fit for managing Wilmer’s best strengths and camouflaging his exposures. He’s going tgo do very well in that roll, and to great team advantage.