11/3/11

Mack’s 25-man: - SS-2B Ruben Tejada


It looks like we’re getting close to stop calling this kid a second baseman.

I worried about him making it when the Mets sent him down last year. I’ve seen so many Anderson Hernandez situations where borderline prospects are called up for a minimal role, fail to impress, and are sent back down as fast as they arrived. Shit like this gets in their heads and they never survive, but, Ruben did and, in fact, he impressed the hell out of me by the end of the season.

No, he will never hit as many triples as Jose Reyes… but neither will Jose what with the new field dimensions.  He’ll play short, make the minimal amount of errors on some routine plays, win some games with a spectacular play, bat around .270, and make a pitcher pitch to an eighth batter.

I would have possibly considered him to bat second if Jose remained on the team (notice how I’m already speaking of Reyes in the past tense?), but, because Tejada is back at his natural shortstop position, I’m going to play Daniel Murphy at second and bat him second.

One really good news item here is the team got younger with Tejada in the lineup. He will play 2012 as a 22-year old.

Lineup so far:  Blank, blank, Wright, Davis, Duda, Bay, blank, Tejada, pitcher.

That’s eight down, 17 to go.

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