The 2017 season has gotten off to quite a tumultuous start. The team started 7-3, and then they proceeded to go 1-8. They currently sit in fourth place in the division after being swept by the Washington this weekend. There has been a myriad of problems including overuse of the bullpen a lack of consistent hitting and many injuries. One glaring problem has been a lack of production from the third base position and the leadoff spot.
Of these problems, the easiest one to fix would be the last one. Jose Reyes has been atrocious so far, this season hitting a miserable .103 with no home runs or RBI. He also made an error on a popup that helped send the Mets on their current skid.
There have been reports that his roster spot is safe for now. Some may not agree with this, though I believe he is fine to keep on the roster in a reserve role. The time has come early in the season for the Mets to be aggressive before it is too late. Though it is only April the team already trails the Nats by 5.5 games. While this lead is not insurmountable, it may be very difficult to overcome If the Mets do not make a change.
The simplest answer for the team’s problems could lie in calling up top prospect Amed Rosario. Rosario is currently playing for the Triple-A Las Vegas 51’s hitting .403 with 6 RBI and 5 stolen bases while only being caught once. While this is his first season at this level, and he is one of the youngest players there, he has shown his prowess. The Mets need to make the move now.
Critics of this possible move will note that Rosario is very young and inexperienced and that bringing him up too soon could be detrimental to his development, but the team is running out of options. They could look outside the organization or they could cross their fingers and hope David Wright comes back and stays healthy, but neither of these options seems likely. Perhaps later in the season the trade market will open up, but only if the Mets are close to a playoff position.
Bringing up Rosario would take care of the leadoff spot, and the Mets could slide Asdrubal Cabrera over to third base and allow the younger player to take over at short stop. Cabrera is a good enough defender with a strong enough arm to make the transition to third. If not he could be moved to second and have Neil Walker man third base.
A few years ago, when the Mets team offense was stagnant the team made two moves that turned their whole season around and culminated in a world series appearance. They traded for Yoenis Cespedes and they called up top prospect Michael Conforto from Double A. While another trade for a player of Cespedes’ caliber is unlikely. Rosario could be this year’s version of Conforto. His speed would also be a welcome addition to a very slow Mets team.
Even though he is young, he is currently the team’s best option for improvement to a lineup. The Mets must make an impact move before they let the division slip away for good.
I just can’t see Walker being thrilled about playing third base with his impending FA.. So to solve one problem you shift just about the entire infield to accommodate Rosario? Having 3 veteran starters change positions over night is not the answer. Trading for a third base man and have DW announce his retirement would alleviate matters. I’m sure the Wilpons would be more than happy to have a final resolution with DW instead of this mindless approach of maybe he’ll play this year. The insurance money should help offset some of the costs. Its time the Mets and Wright moved on
You neglect to bring up the Super 2 aspect, the financial “team control” factor.
Here’s my thing:
Fans always, always, always want things to happen faster than GMs.
Most importantly, you spend years with a prospect. You talk about players over the winter. You set up a system of evaluations. A timetable. A sense of what would be “best” for the player and for the organization. Of course, we don’t live in an ideal world, and sometimes you have to move off that ideal plan, but you should do it with serious thought, not as a reflex, not out of emotion. The Mets have been really bad for a 9-game stretch. It’s been horrible, painful.
For 9 games.
Guys have been hurt, eliminating their (over-hyped) depth. Wilmer’s knee is an issue, that infection is no joke. Jose has been horrible. Shockingly abysmal. But i’s too soon for the Mets to overreact to a nine-game tailspin. React? Yes. Overreact? No.
But, sure, it could be that the Rosario timetable has to move forward. Maybe the future comes faster than we’d like. However in the world of best-laid plans, he is given more time in AAA to solidify his skills and the Mets bring him up after the estimated Super 2 date. Hopefully not as a savior. A win-win.
Today, I still think you try to cobble it together before messing with the #1 prospect. The date may only be a few weeks, a month, away. Reyes should get better. Or he should agree to two weeks in Vegas. Reynolds, Evans, Cecchini, Flores, Rivera. I’d start there, making tweaks, before making the big move with Rosario.
BTW, having him play 3B is an atrocious idea. The Mets have mentioned it in the past, and he’s played 3B in AAA (a little bit). The kid is a SS, don’t move him down the defensive spectrum. It would be a horrendous decision.
Agreed on Rosario not playing third.
He’s a good defensive shortstop and will be the shortstop in 2018. I would much sooner move Asdrubal Cabrera to third.
We agree more than we disagree on things Jimmy, and this is another example. Promoting Smith or Rosario is absolutely the wrong thing to do. Aside from player development and personnel management for the future, the worst thing you can do to a kid is bring them up to the pros to rescue a team. All the sudden you place the weight of the world on a 21 yo, in Rosario’s case, with a grand total of about 75 games past A ball. Thats flat out nuts. We all love what we are seeing in him, and Smith for that matter, but they need to develop on a smart time line, not because Rome is in flames. Moving AR off of SS is nuts.
I agree with Chris F. I could see bringing up Rosario at mid or late-season and shifting Cabrera to third. But it’s a little soon right now. The interim move is to make Reyes a bench player and let Flores man third when he’s healthy. I’d also bring back Kelly Johnson for depth.
If/when Wright plays again it won’t be in a full-time role. For now, the team has to operate as if he’s no longer on the team. If
I’ve heard reports if Rosario does come up, it’ll be only as a shortstop.
Losing Flores to infection is a huge loss right now.
What about Gavin Cecchini as an interim fix? Playing time now could earn a long term bench role.
I liken losing Flores to losing Lagares earlier in the year – no great loss and perhaps it will allow a shot for a better guy. Would Conforto have gotten the time he did if Lagares was healthy?
yep.
Flores hit .340/.383/.710 vs. LHP in 2016 with 11 HRs in 107 PAs.
That’s an asset in my book.
The timing of his injury, which is bizarrely serious, has not been ideal.
Seems like Reynolds is next in line, currently standing by in NYC — a fact I find both uninspired and uninspiring.
And a .637 OPS in 403 PA in 2015 and a .642 OPS in 228 PA in 2016 versus RHP with lousy defense is a detriment. He’s not a guy who needs to play more. In my opinion they should use the time to see if Gavin Cecchini can be an asset, not waste any more time figuring out that Flores can’t hit righties and shouldn’t play in the field.
Yeah, a 0.5 tool player doesnt need more time.
I am in favor of bringing up Rosario but certainly not before we clear the Super Two date.
I have heard that Rosario has gotten some time at third in Vegas… interesting timing. I hear you guys about the super 2 eligibility, but I don’t believe there is a set date for that it all depends on when a certain number of players get called up. I think they determine it after the season. I think Wright should retire if he is physically unable to take the field.
Rosario was an emergency fill-in. It should not have happened.
He’s a budding star, with real All-Star potential who has played two games at the position in his career. If the Mets are thinking of moving him because backup Jose Reyes is in a slump…
Flores needs to play through a lot of failure and flaws to even out his offensive game—-it’s unusual for a RH batter to have such high shift differentials. He’s in the wrong place to get that chance.
He needs to Hit like a Gorilla to offset the rest of his game, but he has some value in his present role.
Slow Legs and Un-Quick Everything—otherwise, I’d ask him to Catch.
Yasmany Tomas and Brandon Guyer are like that, too. Steve Pearce to a lesser extent. Jayson Werth and Hanley Ramirez weren’t like that when they were younger but are essentially that now, too.
My guess is if you wanted to, you could easily create many more of this type. Nick Evans had an .868 OPS versus LHP and a 274 point platoon differential, could play four positions and couldn’t get a regular gig.
MLB teams generally value chasing the platoon advantage defensively over offensively.
he cant throw either
“…and the Mets could slide Asdrubal Cabrera over to third base and allow the younger player to take over at short stop. Cabrera is a good enough defender with a strong enough arm to make the transition to third.”
Beyond ludicrous. Cabrera played one game at 3B a decade ago. Please stop writing about baseball. This is nonsense. Even in the context of a game, it’s offensive drivel.
” If not he could be moved to second and have Neil Walker man third base.”
Sure, because Walker has vast experience there. 15 games, seven years ago. Just… stop. Do something else with your life. You’re not getting this. It’s time to move on.