New York Mets: Looking Ahead Part Two, Position Players

By Steve Contursi | Aug 15, 2016

Aug 5, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; A fan displays an autographed New York Mets helmet before a game between the New York Mets and Miami Marlins Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports /

We take an early look at the New York Mets position players, discussing who is in and who is out for 2017.

Continuing on with the theme of taking an early look at what the New York Mets could/should look like in 2017, today we’ll take a snapshot of the position players with an eye toward deciding who’s in and who’s not.

Any discussion of the 2017 Mets has to begin with David Wright. Injury plagued, he will be returning to Spring Training in April with an eye towards rejuvenating what has become a wayward and frustrating career.

The Mets will no doubt give him a chance to do that because he’s “David Wright” and he’s earned it, notwithstanding the $20 million or so he’s due next year and through 2020. So, he’s a given.

But at the same time, you can’t count on him for a full season so Sandy Alderson’s focus needs to be on obtaining a corner position player with the power numbers to replace what Wright has given them when he’s been healthy. Before long, though, the future of Wright is to have a mutually agreed to re-write of his contract culminating with a soft landing in the front office.

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From there, things get a bit less complicated. Jay Bruce is only 29 years old and there’s no reason to believe he won’t continue to provide that power bat in the middle of the lineup that the Mets sorely need. His power cohort Yeonis Cespedes is another matter however.

To begin with, he’s going to cost the Mets some big bucks and right away that raises a big question mark as to whether or not the Wilpons will open the cash register. Plus, you have to weigh in the fact that he’s been injured with these little things that are just enough to keep him out of the lineup. Tough call.

The one thing that the Mets can’t do is lose Neil Walker by repeating a mistake they made with Daniel Murphy. Both Walker and Murphy bring consistency to their game. You could almost say that in fact, Walker has been carrying the Mets for the last month. You have to sign him and pay him what he’s proving he’s worth. But again, enter the Wilpons and their stingy purse strings, so who knows?

Assuming he comes back healthy and that’s not a given, Lucas Duda is automatically penciled in at first base. The Mets need his power bat in the lineup and that’s putting it mildly. He’s one of those big lumberjack types of guys though and could surface as one of those players who is prone to injury. He’d better not be because if any injury has hurt the Mets this year, it’s his.

Next up is Curtis Granderson who’s been nothing more than an abyss at the top of the lineup for the Mets this year. His 18 home runs this year have produced only 31 RBI, a stat that normally would be close to impossible to reproduce. He’s 36 years old and his best production is clearly behind him.

In the absence of Wright, he’s probably the go-to guy in the clubhouse and he’s always the first to volunteer when the PR office calls about an appearance in the community, but he’s got to be moved or released; a move which will cost the Mets $15 million. This one sits clearly at the doorstep of the Wilpons and Sandy Alderson, who may have to work his magic if the Wilpons balk.

Probably for good reasons, the Mets appear to like Michael Conforto a lot. Despite his very visible slide following an eye-opening April, he deserves a chance to get a brand new beginning in April of next year. Again, he has that sweet swing that spells Run Producer.

The rest of the Mets current position players on the 25 man roster belong in the category of Trade Bait. And that especially includes Travis d’Arnaud who by the end of this season will have had 1,000 plate appearances with the Mets and nothing to show for it. He was acquired back in the days when the Mets had no one else to hype and that has probably hurt him some. He does have value though and Alderson needs to move him while the moving is good.

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From there, the rest of the players are disposable (yes, that includes Juan Lagares and Wilmer Flores) and they shouldn’t be here next year. Perhaps, with the possible exception of someone like jack of all trades Kelly Johnson, the Mets institute their version of a fire sale . Get what you can for them and that’s that.

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