N.Y. Mets: Anger in the Outfield

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

Spring Training 2018 Previews 

and Another METSian Podcast #6

New York Mets: Michael Conforto is the axis upon which spins all my outfield angst.

Michael Conforto is a left fielder by nature, having started 145 minor league games in left, just seven in center, and none in right.

Yet, he is unable to play left field for the Mets because that position belongs to Yoenis Cespedes, whom not incidentally owns one of the strongest arms in baseball.  Only problem is, he must play right field if the Mets are to maximize that attribute.  Although Cespedes has been only somewhat agreeable to playing center field in the past, he still remains adamantly opposed to playing right field today.

Therefore, the Mets shifted Michael Conforto over to right.  His transition went smoothly right up until the club acquired right fielder Jay Bruce from the Cincinnati Reds, forcing Conforto to accommodate yet another player by moving to center.

This is what you call jerking around your prospects - in this case, you're best positional prospect.  The Mets draft players, develop them, but generally fail at integrating them into a greater progressive operation at the major league level.  I can speculate why.  For the moment, however, I'm content blaming Sandy Alderson and his disjointed team building methods.

Team building ... part of which means being strong up the middle.

Where it concerns Jay Bruce, I was originally against his acquisition because it involved exchanging second base prospect Dilson Herrera.  My former hopes lay in Herrera and Amed Rosario manning the middle infield, with Michael Conforto playing right field.  In turn, Sandy should have been seeking out a legitimate center fielder that could have equally satisfied their need for a lead-off hitter.

Today, the Mets still lack an effective lead-off hitter; are relying on a patchwork system at second base; and are still going with a corner outfielder playing out of position in center.

There's still hope ... for me that is.

Dominic Smith has proven himself unprepared for major league duty, and I have no faith Adrian Gonzalez will work out at first base.  Therefore if the Mets go with Jay Bruce at first base, and Conforto moves over to right, I'd be perfectly content with Brandon Nimmo and Juan Lagares platooning in center.

In fact, I welcome it.

Since Michael Conforto is still recovering from shoulder surgery, rushing him back prior to May 1st would be complete folly.  There's no reason for the Mets to act with haste when indeed they have Brandon Nimmo and Juan Lagares available.

Moreover, I was very happy when Sandy Alderson refused to include Nimmo in any potential deal for Pittsburgh center fielder Andrew McCutchen - not because of any lack of interest in McCutchen, but because I did not want to relinquish Nimmo.  He turns 25-years old in another five days, and to date he's put together a fine spring performance, slashing .283/.361/.585, with eight extra base hits and ten RBI through 17 Grapefruit League games.