Reese Kaplan -- A Difficult Decision Needs to Be Made at 3B

More than once I’ve made reference to the classic Abbott & Costello routine called, “Who’s On First?” It still makes me smile every time I see it despite knowing exactly what’s going to happen as it’s a combination of words, facial expressions and the familiarity of the frustration taking place when two people simply fail to communicate.  We all remember the refrain of, "I Don't Know. 3rd Base!"

For years the third base position has been a black hole for the Mets.  Yes, they’ve had some semi-extended streaks of competence by Hubie Brooks, Howard Johnson, Edgardo Alfonzo and David Wright, but there have also been plenty of innings logged by Bobby Pfeil, Jerry Buchek, Ed Bressoud and Roy Staiger.  Ugh!

Nowadays when you open the topic of the hot corner you get some pretty ardent supporters of each of the candidates for the role.  Soon the Mets may have to make a semi-permanent choice and each has its pros and cons.  

Rumor has it that J.D. Davis is due back on Saturday on his first day eligible to come off the IL for his hit-by-pitch injury to his hand.  The first few days off the field his injured hand was too swollen and tender to allow him to grip the bat comfortably, but manager Luis Rojas was pretty wowed by what he saw on Wednesday as he’s fully comfortable once again.  No one needs a reminder of what he’s capable of doing offensively based upon his 2019 season with the Mets, but his defensive shortcomings got amplified by his mediocre hitting last season when he was shuffled around the field in the hopes of regaining that power stroke when at the plate.  

Now almost the polar opposite of J.D. Davis is the magic gloveman, Luis Guillorme.  He bounced up and down between AAA and the majors for a few years due to what was perceived as a weak stick, but no one questioned what he could do with the glove.  Then a funny thing happened.  He started taking quality at-bats, including the now infamous 22-pitch epic episode against the Cardinals’ Jordan Hicks in Spring Training to work out a walk.  No, he’s not going to drive many balls over the wall, but in the early going he’s hitting over .500 to build on his strong .300+ from last year.  When you add in the stellar defense it’s possible that the club could live without the power if he can consistently keep getting on base.

Then there’s the newcomer to the Mets squad, Jonathan Villar.  He was primarily a shortstop and second baseman during the early stage of his career with the Astros, Brewers, Orioles, Marlins and Blue Jays.  He was always more known for his bat than his glove so his signing caught some folks by surprise.  Still, he is capable of producing with his bat and his legs.  In 2019 he hit 24 HRs, drove in 73, batted .274 and stole 40 bases while earning 4.5 WAR for his efforts.  At third base he’s had very little experience but recently showed in the doubleheader that he’s capable of producing offensively when needed most.  Many were ready to toss him aside before he played a single inning but now with helping to win a few games people are getting a bit more open to the idea.

Also lost in this whole mix is PED perpetrator, Robinson Cano.  Last season we saw rookie manager Rojas shuffling players between third base and left field in order to keep second base open for Cano.  Lost in the illegal drug scandal was the fact he had a credible season, batting .316 with 10 HRs and 30 RBIs in one third of a season’s worth of game appearances.  Granted, that performance is tainted under the Stanozolol cloud. He’s still under contract for two more years, so the Mets need to determine what to do with him in 2022 and 2023 as well.  That decision could well impact the third base question as Jeff McNeil needs to be in the lineup as well.  Rumors exist that the Mets might try to void some of the remaining $48 million payroll obligation as Cano brought this suspension on himself (for the second time).  

None of these solutions is perfect and at times like this Nolan Arenado would have looked sensational in a Mets uniform, but these options are what the Mets have before them right now and they need to make a decision.