The Mets infield during the 2009 season was the victim of many injuries. Every member of the Mets infield spent time on the disabled list including Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes who sustained season ending injuries. The infield has a lot of questions going into 2010 and there may not be answers on the free agent market for every position. A lot will have to do with health and the money the Mets are willing to spend.
Mets Catchers in 2009
Omir Santos:
2009 Production: The Mets turned to Omir Santos and Brian Schneider for most of t2010 Prospects: The Mets will likely bring back Santos as at least a back up catcher in 2010. Santos is only making the veteran minimum and will be a cheap option for the Mets.
Brian Schneider:
2009 Production: Schneider had a mostly disappointing season in 2009. He only appeared in 59 games and hit a measly .218 on the season with 24 RBIs and a very poor .282 OBP. Schneider was one of the Mets that spent time on the disabled list and it was during this time that Omir Santos carved out his spot on the Mets roster.
2010 Prospects: Schneider is all but certain to be let go as he is a free agent. He will likely latch on to some team as a veteran back up catcher.
Josh Thole:
2009 Production: Thole was called up when the rosters expanded at the end of August and took advantage of his opportunity. In a small sample, Thole hit .321 in 59 plate appearances with 9 RBIs and 3 extra base hits.
2010 Prospects: It is not out of the realm of possibilities that the Mets could go with a Santos/Thole platoon for 2010. However, it could be argued that the Mets may be wise to go out and get a full time catcher. Thole had less than 100 at bats and it is yet to be seen if at some point in 2010 he will be exposed in the big leagues.
Free Agent Catchers of Note
Rod Barajas (34) (.226, 19 HR, 71 RBI, 34% CS)
Bengie Molina (34) (.265, 20 HR, 80 RBI, 23% CS)
Ivan Rodriguez (38) (.249, 10 HR, 47 RBI, 35% CS)
Ramon Hernandez (34) (.258, 5 HR, 37 RBI, 35% CS)
Jason Varitek (38) (.209, 14 HR, 51 RBI, 13% CS)
As you can see from the list above of potential Mets targets in the catchers’ free agent market, the list is very mediocre and most of them are on the older side. No name on this free agent list is worth giving money to because catchers tend to break down before the rest of position players. A prime example is Jason Varitek. If this was 5 years ago, I would jump at the chance to sign a proven leader like Varitek. However, his numbers have plummeted and likely will only find a job as a back up catcher because of his numbers and his age.
Mets First Basemen in 2009
Carlos Delgado:
2009 Production: We all know the story with Delgado. He came into the season coming off of a brilliant second half of 2008 and the Mets expected him to be the power bat in their lineup. After tearing apart his hip, Delgado may have played his last season as a Met. In his limited time in the lineup, Delgado batted .298 with 4 HR, and 23 RBI.
2010 Prospects: Delgado will likely not be returning to the Mets. Daniel Murphy did a good a job as his replacement and youngster Ike Davis is waiting in the wings as the Mets future first basemen.
Daniel Murphy:
2009 Production: Mets fans fell in love with Daniel Murphy’s potential after coming up in late July 2008 and getting off to a fantastic start to his major league career. However, Murphy got off to a rough start to the 2009 season committing a bunch of fielding errors that caused the Mets to move him to first base. Murphy hit .266 with 12 HR and 63 RBI after the move and handled first base much better defensively than he did left field.
2010 Prospects: First base is going to be one of the more interesting positions to watch during the 2010 offseason. There is definitely a chance that the Mets decide that they can live with Murphy at first base, but there are also scenarios where the Mets go in a different direction and make Murphy a back up or trade the young player.
Free Agent First Basemen of Note
Nick Johnson (31) (.291, 8 HR, 62 RBI)
Adam LaRoche (30) (.277, 25 HR, 83 RBI)
Aubrey Huff (33) (.241, 15 HR 85 RBI)
The list of first basemen is more interesting than the list of catchers. The Mets have 3 options as of now for what to do at first base. Those options are stick with Daniel Murphy, provide a year or so stop gap for Ike Davis, or sign/trade for the first basemen they plan on keeping for the long term. Since one of those options has to do with free agents it is interesting to look at what is out there. Sources have already come out and said that Nick Johnson is not a player they are interested in because of his injury history. Adam LaRoche is a player that could potentially be a fit because of his power and the fact that he hits well in the second half, but seeing as how he loves Atlanta they will have the first crack at him. Aubrey Huff could be an interesting stop gap option. However, looking at his numbers, it doesn’t appear he is much more of an upgrade over Daniel Murphy (.266, 12 HR, 63 RBI).
Mets Second Basemen in 2009
Luis Castillo:
2009 Production: Castillo had a huge bounce back year in 2009. He was healthy for most of the year (minus a freak ankle injury slipping on the dugout stairs) and his numbers backed it up. Castillo hit .302 with 3 HR and 40 RBI. Castillo also managed to steal 20 bases. Castillo’s season was remembered not for a now famous dropped pop up at Yankee Stadium, but how he bounced back to put up great numbers and play great defense after the play
2010 Prospects: It will be interesting to see if Castillo is with the team in 2009. Despite his bounce back season, the Mets would love someone to take him off their hands. Many fans yearn for Orlando Hudson to be playing second base in Queens next season, but that will depend if Omar Minaya can find a taker
Free Agent Second Basemen
Mark DeRosa (35) (.250, 23 HR, 78 RBI)
Orlando Hudson (32) (.283, 9 HR, 62 RBI)
Akinori Iwamura (31) (.274, 6 HR, 48 RBI*)
Placido Polanco (34) (.285, 10 HR, 72 RBI)
* 2008 numbers due to injury at the early stages of 2009
This infield position might be the most attractive in a weak free agent market. The obvious fit on the list would be Orlando Hudson who stated to the media before last year that he would love to play for the Mets. All of the above second basemen are very strong defenders except for Mark Derosa. Derosa is a solid defender, but the rest have at one time in their career played gold glove caliber defense. As was stated before, the Mets will only be in this market if Omar can find a taker for Luis Castillo.
Mets Short Stops in 2009
Jose Reyes:
2009 Production: Reyes’ season was cut short due to a hamstring injury that was not well treated by the Mets medical staff. Before the injury, Reyes hit .279 with 2 HRs, 15 RBI and 11 SB.
2010 Prospects: Reyes will be the starting short stop in 2010. It is crucial that he stay healthy in 2010 because he is a shoe-in for 100 runs scored every year. That kind of production is very tough to replace.
Alex Cora:
2009 Production: Cora was a solid replacement for Reyes when he got injured. Cora had a .251 average but only had 1 HR and 18 RBI. Cora brought leadership ability and solidified the defense at short stop while Reyes was out. Cora was signed to a one year deal and may not be back next season.
2010 Prospects: Cora may not be back next season. He was only signed to a one year deal and it will be interesting to see if the Mets bring him back. People in the Mets organization loved the leadership that Cora brought. Any team that is successful has at least one player on their team like Alex Cora.
Free Agent Shortstops:
Because the Mets will not need a new shortstop in 2010, it makes no sense wasting time looking at what is available in the market. The Mets will likely go with a “Reyes or bust” strategy when it comes to shortstop in 2010.
Mets Third Basemen in 2009:
David Wright:
2009 Production: David Wright gets a mulligan for the 2009 season. He watched multiple run producers go down due to injury and nearly made it through without having an injury himself. Wright sustained a concussion when he was hit in the head by a fastball. Wright hit .307 with 10 HRs and 72 RBI which was well below his average production for his career.
2010 Prospects: It is on the Mets front office to surround Wright with hitters of his caliber. Getting Reyes and Beltran back will certainly help, but they a hitter that can replace Carlos Delgado’s production in the order.
Final Summary:
After a detailed analysis of the 2009 infield and beyond, it is clear that health was the biggest issue. Losing Delgado and Reyes to season ending injuries was unrecoverable for this bunch. It is up to Omar Minaya to bring in new blood at first base and possibly second base to get this infield to where it needs to be.
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