11
2011
No Lewis, No Problem
An article by 
The Reds yesterday signed Fred Lewis to a one-year deal worth $900,000. This is a great signing for the Reds, but it will force the Mets to turn their attention elsewhere.
The NL Central defending champion Reds will sport an outfield comprised of the young stud Jay Bruce in right, exciting Drew Stubbs in center, and fiery Jonny Gomes in left.
Stubbs and Gomes both bat right handed, so Lewis should 
find a decent number of at-bats against tough righties. Also, Gomes doesn’t exactly run well, so Lewis would be a valuable late-inning replacement in the field or on the basepaths.
The Reds also signed Jeremy Hermida to compete for the fourth outfielder job, but he will likely be relegated to more of an insurance policy now that the Reds brought in Lewis.
So with Lewis off the table, the Mets must search for another viable fourth outfielder option. Surprisingly, there are still some valuable pieces out there with a little over a month until spring training begins.
Of the bunch, a few names stand out. Laynce Nix served as the fourth outfielder for the Reds last season. He hit a solid .291 in 97 games and has played all three outfield positions over the course of his career.
He would be a relatively cheap option, but he has been known to be slightly injury prone.
Another option would be the veteran Randy Winn. The former All-Star is a shell of his former self and must realize that there is no opportunity for him to start out there. If he accepts the role of a switch-hitting fourth outfielder/pinch hitter, he could still benefit a team. He would also serve as a strong veteran presence on a team with some volatile personalities.
I’ve mentioned Reed Johnson already as a possibility. He may move into the forefront now that Lewis is off the market. Since the Mets right now basically don’t have a bench, it is hard to tell whether they need a right-handed or left-handed bat. Johnson would be a productive right-handed bat, and he too can play anywhere in the outfield.
Scott Podsednik will probably hold out for a chance to start. Scott Hairston had an awful year last year but could rebound. He reminds me of Reed Johnson. A guy who can play good defense, bats right-handed, and won’t wow anyone with his bat.
Lastings Milledge would be an interesting possibility. But how would he respond to a bench role? I think it would be wise to stay away from this headache.
So the options are still out there for the Mets, but they may have to act sooner than later to get the guy they want.
About the Author: Jim Mancari
Jim Mancari hails from Massapequa, N.Y. He recently earned a Master's degree in Journalism at Hofstra University. He is a devout Mets fan and takes pride in his team, despite their lack of success over the last few years. Like all Mets fans, Jim has plenty of hope. He also writes as the sports reporter for the Brooklyn Tablet newspaper and the senior editor of metroBASEBALL Magazine. Click my name to view my personal website.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 23 | 18 | .561 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 19 | .548 | 0.5 |
| Phillies | 20 | 23 | .465 | 4.0 |
| Mets | 16 | 24 | .400 | 6.5 |
| Marlins | 11 | 31 | .262 | 12.5 |
Last updated: 05/18/2013
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they probably have most of the bench already.
Paulino is set.
Hu is pencilled in for the Bu MI spot.
Evans is a strong possibility for a RH bat spot
one of the RH 2B guys (emaus or turner) likely makes it (assuming murphy gets a 2B job, so they would flip flop depending on who is starting that day).
that really just leaves 1 missling link, which with this crew should be an OF (and probably LH) that can ideally cover CF at times.
let’s just skip spring training while we’re at it
This might be Pridie’s best chance ever.
he could be the best in house option at this point
that seems very sad, since he is 27 and has never really even hit in the minors very well.
decide what you want in the role though. A flashy glove an no care about offense, or someone that can hit!
Pridie exciting….. (for Pridie, pretty pathetic for Met fans)
I’m holding out hope that Fernando Martinez has a great spring and makes the team as the 4th outfielder. I don’t think playing time will be an issue. Beltran will only play 120 games, Bay typically plays 145 game sa year and Pagen will play 145 games. That’s.. about 60-70 games for Martinez to play. 270-300 at bats. Then next year Pagen moves to center, Martinez takes over in right field.
I just don’t see it with Martinez. I just hae to figure that they will be happy about the big spring, but will want him to play every day to get the ABs he has been missing the last few years.
and with the 3 starting OFs, odds are at some point there will be an opening (and probably more than one) that he could come up to fill.
if he does have a big year, he will be up at some point, just not to start the season on the bench.
I hear what your saying and i considered that. I think Beltran will take many days off particularly day after night games and back to back games on turf to protect his knee and but himself in the best position to demonstrate to prospective new employers that he can remain healthy and productive through out a season. That means Beltran will miss 2 games a week. And between Bay and Pagen there will be a one game a week opportunity to play. So we’re looking at 3 games a week for Martinez to play. At this point I think the Mets will trade Martinez if he is not productive. We know either/or Beltran or Reyes will most likley be traded during the season. Martinez could easily be included in that package should the Mets think his development is limited.
I don’t think so. I am still excited about Martinez ability to hit for power. We overlook that he had 12 home runs last year playing at Buffalo in less than half of a season. I really think Martinez will develop into a power hitting corner outfielder despite his shoulder and knee injury.