Reese Kaplan -- It's Time For the Scrap Heap Picking to Begin

As the Mets enter their final half-week of Spring Training there are still a great many questions to be answered.  Thankfully, quite a few of them are of the short-term variety.  However, it still means tough decisions must be made in terms of the personnel.

Jonathan Villar was a mixed review among fans when the Mets opted to sign him.  They didn’t know if he was here to play 2B, 3B or maybe even venture into the outfield.  He’s always been a bit of an up and down player offensively, though he has shown good power and tremendous baserunning ability.  His defense has not been great but that aspect of baseball has never been a high priority for Sandy Alderson.  

Word recently came out that he’s suffering a hamstring injury which will be tested this week, but indications are the wiser move would be to start him on the IL for at least a 10-day period to allow him to heal properly rather than rushing back and exacerbating the injury.  If that move is indeed made, then what do the Mets do for a spare infielder?

Right now, obviously, Luis Guillorme is making the squad.  J.D. Davis appears to have a firm grasp on 3B.  Francisco Lindor is written in ink at shortstop.  Jeff McNeil returns to his usual slot of 2B courtesy of Robinson Cano’s idiocy.  First base belongs to Pete Alonso.  That leaves the infield rather thin should a slump or injury occur requiring more than Guillorme.  

At this time of the year the waiver wires are full of veteran players who were released or chose to opt out of the deals they had with their now formerly prospective employers.  While a couple of relief pitchers really caught my eye given the injury to would-be reliever Drew Smith in the forms of  Steve Cishek, Tony Watson -- there was a familiar face who could at least provide late inning defensive relief if not much else.  Todd Frazier decided that being a Pirate was not in his future and he is a free agent.  Also in the kicked-to-the-curb mix were Derek Dietrich and Jason Kipnis.

Now, after you finish coughing and choking, understand that this scenario with Frazier is not likely to happen despite the rerun specialists in the front office.  The reason Frazier gave for seeking a new opportunity was the ability to play semi-regularly and not merely be the 26th man on the roster.  For the Mets he would assume that role and likely be cut loose once Villar was healthy enough to play when needed.  Consequently it would be a poor choice for Frazier to make round three with the Mets, though I wouldn’t put it past Sandy Alderson and company to reach out to him.  Roster issues would also be a similar problem for Dietrich and Kipnis.

Most of the other infielders the Mets had that helped form something of a surplus are no longer here.  Both Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez are wearing Cleveland Indians attire.  Lower level minor leaguers with promise like Ronny Mauricio, Mark Vientos and Brett Baty are not worth sacrificing an option for just likely a few weeks of major league performance for which they may not yet be ready.  

No, I think if the Mets choose to add a temporary new infielder then it will be an old face on the Mets, Wilfredo Tovar.  As a career minor leaguer he has a .268 batting average.  In foreign markets he’s a little higher at .279.  He has had 101 big league at-bats and only hit .188.  However, you have to remember that as the 26th man he’s there primarily for defense and emergency short term.  

The problem with this approach is the 40-man roster.  Right now Tovar is not on it.  Then again, neither would be a Todd Frazier or any other free agent acquisition.  To have to manipulate the 40-man roster to bring in 10-15 days of Tovar’s service would be a tough nut to swallow.  

If the Mets talk to good doctors (a refreshing change that hopefully is a part of the new ownership), then they can determine the likely severity of Villar’s injury.  If it indeed appears minor and merely requires some rest, then they may choose to go shorthanded rather than have to play roster games. It will be interesting to see how the Mets choose to approach this injury situation.