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8/7/19

Reese Kaplan -- What's on Second?





Abbott:  Well, let's see, we have on the bags, Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third...


Word came down from the front office during Monday’s doubleheader sweep that Robinson Cano’s hamstring injury is actually a tear.  This revelation suggests a season-ending rehabilitation.  Many who were, shall we say, less than enthusiastic about the trade that brought Cano here are probably cheering addition by subtraction.  Others will point out his recent at-bats that were more productive than what we’ve seen during most of the year.  Either way, the fact remains that the Mets now must face being up the river without a “Cano” paddle.

What the Mets do have are a dizzying array of options to address this situation in-house.  They range from players already on the 25-man roster, players on the 40-man roster and players who would need to be added to it.  Let’s have a look at the possibilities.

Jeff McNeil

In any other season the answer would be a simple one.  Allow Jeff McNeil to occupy the position he played when he made his rookie debut.  Case closed.  You get a batting average leader with surprising power of late able to hold down the fort with arguably better range and agility than the man he replaces.  The problem here is that McNeil has made himself into a credible outfielder and with the season-long injuries to Yoenis Cespedes and Brandon Nimmo, plus the vague “stress reaction” Dominic Smith has in his right foot.  Sportswriters on Twitter have said he’ll be out all of August and into September if he returns at all.  That leaves the Mets woefully thin in the outfield when both Juan Lagares and Aaron Altherr cannot even muster the offensive output of a pitcher. 

Adeiny Hechavarria

The flashy glove man came up with something of an offensive bang, but over the course of his tenure has quickly reverted not only to his replacement level player averages, but actually dipped below them.  He’s only slightly more productive than a Juan Lagares and sending him out there every day would be sacrificing one of the 8 offensive spots in the batting order.  He's hitting an anemic .210.

Luis Guillorme

Unlike Hechavarria and others, Guillorme has never even had a solid week of starting in the majors.  Some say he’s a left handed Ruben Tejada in that he’s known more for his glove than his bat, has limited power and limited speed.  He was hitting .307 in AAA (not inflated by the PCL) and is well over .280 for his minor league career.  He’d seem a better bet for potential than Hechavarria who has proven over a long period of time what he’s not capable of doing offensively.

Dilson Herrera

The young second baseman seemingly has been around forever but he is still just 25.  He is also not on the Mets 40-man roster.  He’s only hitting .250, but has already clubbed 22 HRs and driven in 48 for Syracuse.  2nd base is his natural position and perhaps his launch angle conversion will translate to some power in the big leagues this time around.

Ruben Tejada

Another reclamation project, Tejada is enjoying by far his best season at any level upstate this year with the AAA squad.  He’s hitting a robust .343 with 6 HRs and 35 RBIs while not stealing bases but getting on base at a .421 clip.  The problem is over his career in the majors which started back in 2010 he’s just a .251 hitter with 10 HRs and 158 RBIs over the equivalent of about 4 seasons of playing full time.  To give you an idea of the magnitude of the ineptitude, Hechavarria has provided .252/33/256 in about the same amount of playing time.  Could something have clicked or is it just a AAA phenomenon in the mold of Eric Campbell? 

Danny Espinosa

The switch-hitting former Washington Nationals shortstop can play 2B and the OF as well.  He has provided a lot of run production for Syracuse with 15 HRs and 68 RBIs while hitting .259.

Arismendy Alcantara

Although you could make the argument he would be a huge upgrade over the current 4th and 5th outfielders on the Mets roster, he is having a very nice season in AAA, hitting .298 with 9 HRs, 35 RBIs and 8 SBs over just 232 ABs.  By contrast, Espinosa has been up nearly 200 times more.  The switch-hitting Alcantara has played a significant number of innings at SS, 2B and the OF.  

Jed Lowrie

Remember him?  He’s yet to partake in baseball activities due to a myriad of issues ranging from his hip to his knee and places in-between.  Still, now would be a good time for this professional player to suck it up and return to playing games.

Gavin Cecchini

Remember when Terry Collins insisted on playing Jose Reyes rather than seeing what Cecchini could do?  I guess we’ll never know since injuries have certainly forestalled his career.  He does have 133 ABs in the minors this year but is undistinguished hitting just .233.


The only clear answer I see here is NOT to play Jeff McNeil at 2B as it would force Aaron Altherr or Juan Lagares into a starting role.  That, of course, means it's exactly what Mickey Callaway will do since he's not exactly know for his managerial smarts.  

A lot of the others are pure rolls of the dice.  Guillorme is a great unknown.  Tejada, Alcantara, Herrera and Hechavarria have all stumbled in the big leagues.  Espinosa is an all-or-nothing one-trick-pony who strikes out often enough that his HRs might not compensate for it.  The two walking wounded can’t be penciled in reliably.

What are you thoughts?

20 comments:

  1. In an objective meritocracy, you gotta give .343 a couple of weeks in the role of starting 2B for the parent club, just to see if the numbers don't translate.

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  2. You can't dilute the outfield offense by moving McNeil in. I would get Panik - if not, try Guillorme for a few games to see if he can add some O to his D.

    In the outfield, good luck replacing Lagares and Altherr. Nimmo better hurry up back. Or wait for a DFA, since some teams who had WC hopes will quickly find out, after a losing streak, that they don't - and may have OF guys like Panik and Cabrera to DFA to save cash and look at a prospect sooner.

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  3. I would give Guillorme the 2B for now.

    Lets not forget, Panik was released for a reason which is he is not performing so why play him over our own players who are doing well at the AAA level and deserve a chance?

    Try Guillorme and if he doesn't work out, then there is a choice between Ruben and Herrera. Only go outside the organization for a clear upgrade.

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  4. A healthy Nimmo would be such a major upgrade. Its too bad we don't even have a timeline here...if he or Lowrie can make it back before September then we just have to cobble someone together until then. We are facing lots of good teams over the next few weeks here is BVW chance to prove something.

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  5. Panic is a former Gold Glove second baseman.

    Doesn't that carry weight anymore in a pennant run?

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  6. Guilorme has the defensive chops that Panik wouldn't be that much of an upgrade, plus he MIGHT be better offensively. We don't know since he's never really had a shot for consecutive days before.

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  7. Reese, do we want to take a gambit on unproven Guillorme in a pennant race, or a proven, if declining, Joe Panik? I'd prefer Panik.

    Sadly, Luis has not hit (.196/.257 as a major leaguer in about a month's worth of plate appearances).

    Too many guys who can't hit (him, Nido, Lagares, Altherr) is a bad formula.

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  8. Luis is already here (40 man roster), so he has an advantage......but, his bat seems a bit light, honestly. Panik would require some roster manipulation, but it's not like the team doesn't have some wiggle room (i.e. borderline MLB players that can be moved off the same).

    As an interesting aside, right after the Cano trade and up until recently, he was viewed as an overpaid dud! Plus, we gave up the two best prospects to ever get traded (slight embellishment) in order to get him, so that made things worse. Then the team rattles off a nice win streak, Cano starts hitting a bit and then he pulls a hammy! NOW, his "loss" is viewed as a big deal and the team needs to make a move before all is lost!

    OK, so maybe I am being bit sarcastic, but the media never fails to confuse and entertain.

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  9. Yeah the media is making Cano getting hurt out as some big loss. He had a decent two weeks against some bad teams. His WAR is at 0 according to ESPN, replacing him should not be that hard. Panik was DFA'd for a reason, he is terrible. I would rather try guys we already have. Unless someone on the Mets staff has analytics that have identified a fixable hole in Paniks swing that would be a backwards move I think. We do need to keep Lagares and Altherr out of the lineup anyway possible.... Lagares is a shell of his former self. Even his defense seems mediocre now.

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  10. Panik not hitting much, but his .240 since May 1 has been in the majors. He has just 3 errors this year, and coming home might ignite him. Local fella Stroman is pumped to be home.

    If claimed, assuming he does not pass thru waivers, he'd cost Mets about $1 million for the rest of 2019. I wonder if a little of that might be made up in terms of friends and family coming to games.

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  11. JD Davis was once a good AAA hitter that had a rap of not being able to hit MLB pitchers. Give Guilorme a chance now to end of year.

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  12. My choices right now for a utilty infielder:

    1. Herrera
    2. Panik
    3. Tejada

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  13. it should be Panik
    He is from Long Island, Coming home could spark a huge month and half

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  14. I'm with Eddie - I'm ready to PANIK, PEOPLE!

    13 of 14 - who woulda thunk it?

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  15. Honestly, in a perfect scenario, Cabrera would have been the perfect fit for us. Too bad Cano got hurt one day too late.

    I do see Mack's point in that Panik could get re-energized by coming home and being on a new team.

    But I am tired of seeing other players come from other organizations to be given chances by the Mets who never seem to give chances to their own AAA players to prove themselves.

    Guillorme's play has earned him a shot but in true Mets form, it will be Hechavarria instead. A player from outside the organization.

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  16. I say choose Dilson to play 2B

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  17. I like Ruben for second. He's been here, has no malfeasance type issues, and has possibly something to prove that would drive him.

    Have you guys been watching Amed lately. Holy Cow! All the sports writers who missed this have gone numb and silent. Haven't they. Hah!

    Told you so.

    Amed Rosario is just getting started. And I am so proud of him because I saw that in him day one.

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  18. I'd go with CF Rajai and 2B Tejada for utility.

    Why not, they are good and deserve a chance. I do not think anyone will be disappointed.

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  19. I didn't want Asdrubal back myself. His time has come and gone. Veteran leadership is very overrated on a team like this Mets one I think. Hungry younger players now rule MLB and this team is right up there with it.

    But if Eddie7 wants to pinch hit a few times, let him. He's earned that.

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  20. No Joe, no panic. You ahve the correct options right within your own system. Tejada and Rajai.

    I am saying this twice here because I know that I am 100% right for once.

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