MACK - THE FRIDAY REPORT

 

The Morning Report

 

Carson Benge, Brett Baty, Tyrone Taylor, and MJ Melendez are all options for right field for the Mets, with Juan Soto shifting to left field.

MACK – I can’t help but feel that this could speed up the arrival of Benge. Why not. There are veterans at all the other positions so you can easily slip in a rook and bat him ninth.

Will it happen? Probably not. The same bet would be the glove of Taylor.

Still, it seems every day comes and goes and there is a national story or interview about this guy. Is this orchestrated this way? Who knows? Right now, I’d say it’s about even odds that he breaks camp with the other 25. Being a starter could be a whole different animal.

 

 

David Stearns mentioned that Vidal Bruján, Jackson Cluff, Grae Kessinger, Ronny Mauricio and Christian Arroyo  are shortstop options for the Mets now that Francisco Lindor misses time to start the season.

MACK – OK… we need to spend some time with Brujan and Cluff before we go forward.

GROK –

Vidal Bruján is a Dominican professional baseball player, born February 9, 1998 (age 28 as of now), in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic.

He's a versatile utility infielder/outfielder known for his switch-hitting (bats both sides) and right-handed throwing.

Current Status (as of February 2026): He's currently with the New York Mets in Major League Baseball (MLB). The Mets acquired him from the Minnesota Twins on January 22, 2026, in exchange for cash considerations after he was designated for assignment by the Twins (who had claimed him off waivers from the Atlanta Braves shortly before).

He's listed with positions including third baseman (3B), second baseman (2B), shortstop (SS), and outfield spots like right field (RF).

Career Overview

Debut: July 7, 2021, with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Previous Teams: Tampa Bay Rays (2021–2023), Miami Marlins (2024), Chicago Cubs (2025), Baltimore Orioles (2025), Atlanta Braves (2025), brief stint with Minnesota Twins (claimed January 2026, then traded).

He's a journeyman utility player with solid speed and contact skills but limited power (career MLB slash line around .199/.267/.276 through prior seasons, with better recent marks like .253 in limited 2025 action and .222 in 2024).

Physical: 5'9", 180 lbs.

Contract: Signed through 2026 (1 year/$850k noted in some sources), arbitration-eligible 2027, free agent 2029.

He's valued for his positional flexibility in the infield and outfield, making him a useful bench/depth piece.

 

Jackson Cluff is a professional baseball player, currently a minor league infielder in the New York Mets organization.

He's a 29-year-old (born December 3, 1996, in Littleton, Colorado) utility infielder who primarily plays shortstop (SS), second base (2B), and occasionally third base. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed, standing at 5'11" and weighing 181 lbs.

Background and Career

College:

Played baseball at Brigham Young University (BYU Cougars), where he had a strong 2019 season (.325/.458/.515 with 27 extra-base hits and 12 steals).

Drafted: Selected by the Washington Nationals in the 6th round (183rd overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft.

Pro Career: Spent several years in the Nationals' system, reaching Triple-A (e.g., Rochester Red Wings). He has a career minor league batting line of around .219/.324/.363 with 42 HR, 86 SB, but high strikeouts (527 in 498 games). Known for solid defense up the middle, speed, and plate discipline, though contact has been inconsistent.

Recent Moves: Became a free agent and signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets in November 2025, with an invite to spring training. He's assigned to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets and listed as depth, especially at shortstop.

MACK – Frankly, neither of these two are going to the HOF.

And lastly...

I have been observing "pitchers/catchers" and a few initial things come to mind...

1. There are a lot of non pitchers already in this camp, and I don't mean catchers.

2. Most of the new guys are veterans and, thus, don't need a refresher with "the drill". No one is going to overswing in the batting cage or throw out a rib cage with a fastball. 

Not this week.

This is "loosing up" with an occasional intro to a new teammate.

3. I am immediately struck with seemingly a lack of previously produced depth. Almost fragility. 

4. Doing past numbers, the hits are there and you could walk off leading in team steals, but the power has left the building. Especially homers.

5. To me, early on, the starters look deep, talented, healthy, and frankly, exciting.

6. The pen is a work in progress and could easily be bailed out by excess starters.

I'm not dancing in the halls yet, but I'm not burying myself in the sand either