Reese Kaplan -- Lots of Options for Temporary SS Replacement...

Well, the big news has hit everyone about Francisco Lindor’s hand surgery and the belief that he would need at minimum 6 full weeks of rehab and healing time.  It means no Spring Training and no World Baseball Classic for the Mets shortstop.  What it also means is that the club needs to execute a Plan B in the event that the healing takes longer than just the preseason period.

The most obvious approach has already been dismissed.  Former Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette who was brought here to play third base will not be sliding back to his familiar shortop position.  There appear to be two issues at play here.  First, Bichette needs to be free from distractions adjusting to the hot corner after having manned shortstop for his pro career.  Second, he’s not a good shortstop.  If David Stearns is serious about run prevention then moving from one of the better options to one of the worst makes no sense whatsoever.

The next in-house option is Ronny Mauricio whose presence on the major league roster just became significantly more probable.  He’s got a great arm and a still developing bat while offering up enough defensive skill that you could live with him in that position for however long it takes for Lindor to return to playing health.  Until now people were questioning whether he’d even make the team and all of the sudden his stock has risen out of injury necessity. 

Then there are the AAAA newcomers who could play shortstop but wouldn’t provide enough with the bat to provide anything in terms of run creation.  Diminutive switch hitter Vidal Brujan has had parts of major league presence since 2021 but in aggregate only delivered over 564 ABs a career .199 average with 5 HRs, 48 RBIs and 16 SBs.  None of these numbers suggests he’s anything more than a late inning defensive replacement.

The other infielders in camp are not on the 40-man roster and it’s hardly likely they would displace someone from their spot there for what might amount to a 2-4 week presence on the big club. 

Another interesting option would be to ask prospective starting first baseman Jorge Polanco temporarily to play as a middle infielder as he’s done during much of his career.  Polanco has a track record of over 500 games at shortstop.  Since it is a temporary thing, it’s possible to have the Mets live with Mark Vientos (if he’s still around) at first base for a few weeks until Lindor returns. 

Of course, the team could still go outside and bring someone in who could slot into Lindor’s position and the most seemingly natural fit is available free agent Jose Iglesias.  He’s a competent fielder and holds a career batting average of .279 and did even better as a Met in 2024 when he hit .337.  His one year in San Diego was not impressive and as such he’s been on the outside looking in as 30 major league ballclubs turned elsewhere for middle infield support.  More importantly he was a terrific presence in the clubhouse during his single year in Queens, something most definitely missing in 2025.  The price for his services would not be exorbitant.  The Padres paid him $3 million after his very strong 2024 season and with Spring Training beginning this week his price tag likely will have dropped as he prepares to play his age 36 season. 

It will be interesting to see how Stearns addresses this need.