I was pretty impressed with what I saw in the Mets' outfield on Tuesday. With AJ Ewing in left field, Luis Robert Jr. in center field, and Carson Benge in right field, every blade of grass was covered.
Ewing, who had never played left before, made some impressive catches - one on an all-out dive and the other on a masterful recovery as he learned how the ball travels in left field. Meanwhile, in center, Robert effortlessly found his way underneath balls that other players would have not reached or at least required full effort sprints. Benge, who is still learning the right field idiosyncrasies, has great range and a cannon arm. Those three are lock-down tight defense that the team can count on.
But wait, what about Juan Soto the generational talent? He is not quite as fleet-footed as Robert or as "psychopathic" as the pair of rookies, but he is a guy that must be in any Mets lineup and I don't think he wants to be a permanent DH.
Oh, and how about Tyrone Taylor? He has the range and ball-tracking ability that makes him a desirable late-inning defensive replacement. But for who? Robert, Ewing, and Benge don't need defensive replacements. And Taylor has recently made a few statements with his bat that he is not to be ignored.
This is one heckuva crowded outfield that the Mets have, and is one of the few positives that are on display during this very difficult season.
Now I will acknowledge that Robert has an injury history that would need a contingency plan. I will also acknowledge that Taylor has not shown that he can hit or hit with power over the long run. These would be reasons to keep those five around through the trade deadline, but it is going to be a delicate job managing their playing time through the rest of the season if all are healthy and productive.
This dilemma will go away if either Robert or Taylor is traded within the next two weeks, but the Mets had better get some great prospects for giving up one or both of those two. We already know from David Stearns' interview that Soto, Ewing, and Benge are among the untouchables so fortunately we don't have to worry about them going away.
My price for thinning this outfield crowd would be a very high rated AA or higher pitching prospect or a MLB ready first baseman. Would you give up that much for an oft-injured player or one with a .237 career batting average? Probably not. Expect the crowd to remain.
17 comments:
Robert has no role on this team in 2027 or beyond. Can Morabito replace Taylor? I definitely believe that this crowd will not remain and I believe that the returns will not be as high as you wrote/ hope. The Mets obtained Robert for a struggling MLB infielder and a pitcher who cannot throw strikes in single A. Asking for a better return than that? Do not believe so.
As noted, the outfield should be Soto, Ewing, Benge.
I would love to see Morabito perform at the MLB level. He had a rough first try, but he has the speed and athleticism that Ewing and Benge have. He just needs to swing a more consistent bat. Starting to see signs of that recently in Syracuse.
Yes, the reality is that we won't see that kind of return. But that's okay because I really like this outfield right now, and until Robert gets hurt again it will be fun to watch them run everything down.
I think if the Mets want someone to pick up the remains $6+ million on Robert’s salary, they are getting nothing back. Cohen will have to eat to get a return. Taylor is not much money, but also not a superior talent. You might be about right on what he could fetch, as he has hit well of late. He just needs to not go ice cold. One, probably both, should be dealt away. Nick is ready enough.
Or call up Nick Lorusso or Nick Lucky. 😁
Morabito has an OBP slightly north of .400 in the 8 weeks in AAA after he failed briefly with the Mets. He likely won’t fail on a return to the bigs now. He has hit lefties really well, and that would be his key role this season. Is he a fully finished product? Not yet.
My 2027 outfield would be Soto Benge Ewing with Taylor and Morabito backing them up
NEVER PLAY ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE
IMO, Taylor is more attractive to most teams than Robert at the deadline. If you are looking to make a trade for the stretch run, you can't risk having someone spending as much time or more on the IL than in the field. Taylor will go before Robert and how much they get for each depends on how much of Robert's 6m the Mets are willing to absorb.
You might be right
If Taylor goes as well as Robert, I would need to find a 5th outfielder other than anybody named Baty
I think they can try to resign Taylor as a FA after the season, but knowing that he won't be a starter, they may have to commit to two years as a back-up and a raise to get him.
Don’t forget about playing Baty in RF with all of those players on the roster!
Also don’t forget Mike Tauchman is playing everyday in AA & hitting too.
Let Baty sell hot dogs until trade deadline comes and goes
If he still us around DFA him and see what comes back
Wow Baty hater this morning!!!
I prefer he play 2B & semien sit against righties.
Baty is a keeper. He's going nowhere.
Maybe if they left Baty at third base and Vientos at DH, these guys may have developed. Look how stay stayed with Benge and Ewing.
Do you two have something going on?
If Baty is a keeper, then I am a weeper.
Get Vientos heathy, then let him play right field. Nightmare.
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