Mets Infield: Controversy Afoot

The Mets have conducted a quiet offseason. Rumors about the infield swirled for months. Daniel Murphy is one year from free agency, will he be traded? Wilmer Flores fits better at second base, can the Mets acquire Troy Tulowitzki? It’s too early to definitively say “no” to both questions, but we can almost rule out a trade.

Catcher

Travis d’Arnaud
Anthony Recker
Juan Centeno

Mets fans have a lot of wishing and praying to do this season. The roster has decent players across the diamond, but downside is always as apparent as the upside. d’Arnaud is a microcosm of the Mets’ roster. The former prospect has yet to do much over a full season. He has just 533 plate appearances to his name with a forgettable .233/.299/.384 slash.

There is cause for hope. As Daniel Schwartz wrote earlier in the offseason, d’Arnaud turned things around midseason. After returning from a demotion to Triple-A, he hit .269/.315/.481 while taking a more aggressive approach at the plate. As Schwartz noted, his second half statistics were comparable to Yan Gomes.

The risk is readily apparent. Pitchers could “solve” the change in approach. We won’t know for awhile if d’Arnaud can stay hot, but there is certainly room to hope. Speaking of hope, you should hope the Mets don’t need much help from Recker or Centeno. They’re non-entities on offense.

First Base

Lucas Duda
Eric Campbell

After floating around as a platoon bat for parts of four seasons, Duda finally broke out last year with a 30 home run campaign. In 2014’s power depressed environment, Duda posted the 11th most home runs of any slugger – more than Miguel Cabrera, Josh Donaldson, Andrew McCutchen, and Albert Pujols.

The lefty features big platoon splits that beg to be hidden from southpaw pitchers. Last season, his strikeout rate against same-handed pitchers was 32.8 percent. He also posted a scrawny .072 ISO. His career splits are only slightly better. The platoony nature of Duda limits his overall value. There is a bright side. He hit a monster .273/.372/.543 against righties.

Campbell may temporarily benefit from Duda’s struggles against lefties. The righty is a Quad-A quality bat who can keep it together at first and third base. I expect the Mets to eventually begin platooning Cuddyer at first base as a way to also improve the outfield defense.

Second Base

Daniel Murphy
Wilmer Flores
Dilson Herrera
Wilfredo Tovar

Second base looks crowded, but this is Murphy’s position until he’s traded or David Wright hits the disabled list. I was introduced to an interesting comp earlier this offseason. At the plate, Murphy is Gordon Beckham plus 50 points of BABIP. This may explain why clubs are hesitant to pursue Murphy on the trade market. Murphy won’t light the world on fire, but he’s a five category contributor in fantasy leagues – depending on where he bats in the lineup. Expect him to hit second.

We’ll get to Flores in a moment, and Tovar is simple utility depth. However, Herrera is an interesting name to track, especially for those in dynasty leagues. He’s lightly penciled in as the second baseman of the future. He offers a bit more power and less contact than Murphy, but the general skill set is comparable – some speed, some power. Herrera turns 21 in a month, and he’s already had a taste of major league action.

Shortstop

Wilmer Flores
Ruben Tejada
Wilfredo Tovar

Ah, the controversy. All offseason long, Mets fans, pundits, and trolls have whined about the lamentable shortstop depth. It starts with Flores, who features undeniably below average defense. Tejada, who has lost the job repeatedly, still lurks on the periphery with Tovar.

If you can’t tell, I have no sympathy for those sobbing at home. The Mets shortstop position appears to be roughly league average. Flores certainly doesn’t look like a stout defender. He also doesn’t look any worse than Jhonny Peralta on a good day. Positioning and anticipation have allowed Peralta to consistently post strong defensive marks. Let’s not write off Flores yet.

Even if the defense is below average, his bat could grow into one of the top five at the position. To be a good hitter among shortstops is perhaps the lowest hurdle in the sport, but it still has value. He’s a contact oriented hitter who also features decent power. The 23-year-old popped 19 home runs in a little over 500 plate appearances last season, split between Triple-A and the majors. His value is probably tied up in power and batting average, since he doesn’t steal bases.

If the Flores project goes sideways, Tejada is only 25 and has the core ingredients of a slightly below average shortstop. He’s a useful major league asset even if he won’t provide for us fantasy owners.

Third Base

David Wright
Daniel Murphy
Eric Campbell

The Mets hope vintage Wright returns to action this season, but don’t hold your breath. The 32-year-old star has spent most of the offseason rehabbing a shoulder injury. The good news: it was reported to be pain-free last week. The bad: it interrupted Wright’s offseason training. As a rule, I try to avoid players who aren’t able to train over most of the offseason.

A healthy Wright is a real and fantasy star. He’ll provide over 30 HR+SB, hit for a high average, and produce runs. Everybody is down on Wright this draft season, especially experts, which could open a buy-low opportunity. Of course, when experts are wary, it may pay to be equally careful. Make sure you acquire him at a discount to past price tags.