Reese Kaplan -- What About the Rest of the Roster?

Right now the media is awash in renewed optimism with the Mets having secured both a starting catcher and a first-time GM.  Don’t confuse Jared Porter with Brodie Van Wagenen.  His background is pure baseball management from starting out as an intern, to running scouting operations to serving as an assistant GM.  At age 41 he’s likely going to be learning a bit with the full reigns but he has Sandy Alderson behind him to help reinforce any gaps.

What truly puzzles me is the euphoria of the fans and the writers who now think all is done and it’s going to be the day after the three ghosts visit Ebenezer Scrooge where spending is no object whatsoever.  They are fantasizing about adding the likes of George Springer, Trevor Bauer, Liam Hendriks, Brad Hand, Yasiel Puig and pretty much anyone who was or very close to being a major league award winner elsewhere in his career.  Yes, that Yankee and Dodger model worked temporarily for those franchises, but I’m much more an admirer of what less well heeled organizations like the Royals and Rays due, finding minor league talent who can help them for a long time, signing major league talent to good but not outrageous contracts, and finding themselves in the postseason hunt without a Mookie Betts, a Michael Trout, a Bryce Harper or a Nolan Arenado.  (Let me point out, by the way, that the employers of the last three on that list haven’t sniffed a World Series in some time).  

A point came up right here on Macksmets wherein a few oddballs among us said that they would be interested in perhaps one of the superstar (and super expensive) free agents out there, but it was much more important to find credible players at all positions and on the bench.  Last season the Mets struggled in the rotation, the bullpen, the outfield (defensively) and at catcher.  We’ve addressed one of these needs for sure with the addition of James McCann and one partially through the addition of Trevor May.  There are greater needs in the bullpen that May alone won’t solve.  There are possible needs for a backup catcher as few are sold on Tomas Nido, Ali Sanchez or Patrick Mazeika as long term alternatives if needed from prolonged slump or injury to the starter.  

Robinson Cano’s season-long penalty is a blessing in disguise as it comes without pay from the Mets.  That was an unexpected budget windfall of $20 million.  It also allows the Mets to unclutter their messy outfield by putting Jeff McNeil back into the position where he came up and flourished by having him take over for Cano at 2B.  That’s good news.

What’s not so clear to me is the confetti littering the ground for the newly minted starting shortstop Andres Gimenez.  Yes, he started off the very brief 60-game season showing awesome defensive skills the club has missed since the days of Rey Ordonez.  His hitting was, however, the even bigger surprise.  He didn’t seem challenged by major league pitching (or what passed for it) last season in the first month or so.  However, he plummeted rather precipitously from high .300s to .263 for the season.  That average wouldn’t be terrible for a starting player, but remember it was a rapid decline and it approximated his minor league resume where he was a career .278 hitter.  If you look a little further at his metrics, the power started to arrive in 2019 where he hit 9 HRs and the stolen bases were once as high as 38.  However, for a guy who’s not a run producer with a career high of just 46 RBIs in a season, he struck out about 25% of the time.  That stat is pretty worrying for a guy who isn’t the second coming of Pete Alonso.

By contrast, people were ready to chip in for an Uber ride out of town for Amed Rosario who did not have a good abbreviated 2020 season but was coming off two solid years in a row at the full major league level.  In 2018 he finished strong and the year reflected a similar batting average at .256 with 9 HRs, 51 RBIs and 24 stolen bases.  In 2019 he improved across the board with a .287 average, 15 HRs and 72 RBIs (batting mostly 8th) with 19 SBs.  In 2020 he started off badly but rallied to finish with more HRs, more RBIs and a .252 AVG while playing only sporadically.

The big question about Rosario has been his defense.  Many have advocated moving him to centerfield as was done with former Red and Met Billy Hamilton.  That experiment worked for him to some extent defensively, but the offense didn’t correspond.  Remember when the Mets tried to do that with Juan Samuel?  (shudder!)

Some feel he could play 3rd base and open up SS to the more defensively talented Gimenez.  There is some merit to that argument as the corner position is more of reaction than range and the combination he’s shown of power and speed is enticing.  However, there is a big gentleman by the name of J.D. Davis who can theoretically hit better but field worse who right now is likely the third baseman penciled in to play every day.  

Then, to complicate matters, the Mets have been linked to possible trades for Francisco Lindor and others to play shortstop which creates more infield congestion.  Whether or not that happens is anyone’s guess, but it would appear that one of the three incumbent left side of the infield players would have to go as part of any deal.

Finally, let’s not forget the highly capable shortstop famous for his bat catch, Luis Guillorme.  He did not show much in his first few trials in the majors, but as a minor league hitter he was actually better than Gimenez.  He never showed much power or speed, but the glove is rock solid and he did once drive in 55 runs without once hitting the ball out of the park.  He was a .289 career minor league hitter and he’s shown each year he’s measuring up to the majors’ better pitching.  Although he has “utility player” tattooed on his body somewhere, he’s the kind of capable backup that wouldn’t embarrass the club if he was called upon for an extended interval of playing. 

I won’t right now get into the Pete Alonso vs. Dom Smith first base battle because despite his weak 2020 partial season, the club is not yet ready to write off the superior power and fan accolades Alonso possesses.  Yes, Smith had a better year and yes he is a better fielder, but right now there’s no room at the inn.  

Right now Smith might have to try to work his way into left field playing time in competition with fellow lefty Brandon Nimmo.  That’s a tough battle as Smith is more of a solid run producing type player but really shows how out of place he is on the grass.  Nimmo is a terrible centerfielder, decent corner outfielder and an on-base machine.  The question is which skill set the team values more.  Having one of them as a 4th outfielder is pretty formidable.  

Assuming they land a real centerfielder, then the next up on the outfield depth chart is Guillermo Heredia.  He’s a .239 career hitter without power and without speed.  He reminds me of what the Mets used to have not only as backups but often as starters.  Do the names Collin Cowgill, Matt den Dekker and Andrew Brown ring some funereal bells for you?  They most definitely need to shore up the reserves here.  A Jake Marisnik was a better answer for backup but you may not have to pay north of $3 million to get someone to serve that benchwarmer role.   

Monday I covered the rotation in some depth.  Today we’ll take a brief look at the fire spreaders, er, firemen in the bullpen.  I am one of few folks for whom all is forgiven with Edwin Diaz.  After that we have Trevor May and hopefully Seth Lugo.  We’re stuck with Jeurys Familia, Dellin Betances, Brad Brach and Sam McWilliams.  Robert Gsellman has options.  Steve Matz has a paycheck but at this point little else.  So here quite a bit of attention needs to arrive and swiftly.

Right now it would appear that in addition to finding more coaches and front office personnel, the Mets need to start concentrating on the roster construction.  I volunteered in a comment to someone’s column that as a fantasy baseball player I would sooner stock up on 20 HR/80 RBI type players than concentrate on just a few potential All Stars who may or may not perform at that level and at their paycheck level.  Remember Robinson Cano of 2020?  Remember Michael Cuddyer?  Remember Jason Bay?  I hope they do a credible job of fulfilling not just the starting roster but also the reserve roles because those players wind up in games far more often than you anticipate.