22
2012
Torres Is Optimistic, Bay Backs Down, Valdespin Could Take Center Stage
An article by 
I wanted to update this post with some new information on the center field front as follows:
Center fielder Andres Torres spoke to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York this morning and said his calf injury is improving.
“I feel better,” Torres said. “Just a few more days, I hope, I’ll go back to the field. It’s just a mild injury. At least I’m better. Today I feel a little better.”
If he’s okay, that would certainly alleviate some potential problems. This is the second time he’s been sidelined this spring, and he has a significant injury history in his career, nothing major, but he’s missed a lot of time over the years.
Meanwhile, if you haven’t already, read my post from yesterday evening on the situation:
The injuries keep piling up for the Mets this Spring. Most of them have been minor as in the cases of Lucas Duda (back) and Ruben Tejada (strained groin), while others have been more serious as evidenced by the injuries to David Wright (rib cage tear) and Scott Hairston (oblique), either of whom have yet to play in any Grapefruit League games.
The most recent Met to hit the sidelines is center fielder Andres Torres who is out with a strained calf. How bad that strain is has yet to be determined. As manager Terry Collins said yesterday, “If he’s out 2-3 days it’s not bad, but if it’s a week or more that’s not good.”
Unfortunately for the Mets, the player best equipped to handle center field duties if Andres Torres was to miss any significant time is none other than Hairston – and that presents quite the conundrum for the Mets right now.
Yesterday, Jason Bay stepped forward and made it known that he’d be happy to play center field if the Mets needed him to. But then a day later he balked somewhat and said he’d do it only on a fill in basis. Honestly? Bay should keep his day job in left field. He doesn’t pass my eye test and I couldn’t care less what his UZR or whatever is.
Forget Adam Loewen and Mike Baxter. Both are reserve type outfielders and that’s the way it should stay. Neither of them are solid options and should only be considered in the most direst of moments or if desperation sets in.
Centerfield prospects Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Matt den Dekker are unable to help the team right now either. Nieuwenhuis is trying to come back from his own sore oblique, while den Dekker is simply not even close to being major league ready.
I wouldn’t be shocked if by this time tomorrow Sandy Alderson acquires a more legitimate option via a trade, or maybe he’s scouring the remaining flimsy free agents options as we speak – the options nobody wanted. Damn, I wish we had passed on Jon Rauch this offseason and signed Endy Chavez instead.
Anyway, that brings us to Plan V – Mets SS/2B prospect Jordany Valdespin – a very unique talent who is as athletic and versatile as they come – and cocky too.
Terry Collins is certainly up for the challenge of playing ‘Spin in centerfield for the time being, which might seem like an odd play for an infielder who has played only one game in the outfield in his entire professional career – and that was seven years ago. But this move may have some merits.
One glance at Valdespin and he certainly looks the part, so why not give it a shot? Of course Valdespin is all for the experiment because it could be an express-bus ticket to the majors. But more than that, he may just have the perfect skill set to actually pull this off.
Our Mets Minor League correspondent, Pete Shapiro, said recently of him, ”He is a gifted and “toolsy” athlete, he is still very raw, with a great many holes in his game. It’s just that you can’t ignore the natural talent, and his eye-popping abilities.”
This kid can hit as evidenced by this past season where he played at AA and AAA, and set many career highs with 69 runs, 150 hits, 32 doubles, 17 home runs, 60 RBIs, 34 stolen bases and a .468 slugging percentage.
Now I don’t know about you, but I’m willing to to see if he can rise to the occasion.
Another career high for Valdespin last season was his 32 errors at shortstop and second base.
Hmm… Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
Hey, what’s that old saying?
“In every adversity lies the seed of opportunity.”
I’ll roll with that…
Side Note – I just want to say thanks to all our readers. Our traffic is completely off the charts lately and I really appreciate all the support. We have a great group of writers who love the team and write with such passion. Thanks to them and thanks to you.
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.
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IMO, Valdespin in CF – kid has never played there – with Duda in RF? Recipe for disaster.
I don’t know what the answer is if Torres and/or Hairston are not ready to go. But for the love of what could be the worst defensive OF in the league, get someone with a little CF experience with some speed out there.
Can’t be worse than Murphy in LF.
Like many young middle infielders Valdespin made a lot of errors at SS and 2B but there is no question he has the ability to make most of the plays at either position. CF is a totally different deal and one that I can’t see working well for any rookie learning on the job. For an established Major leaguer who’s comfortable with his offense and has been around the block, that’s one thing but for a rookie to try to prove he belongs, I cannot see this as being a good idea.
Jordany doesn’t walk much, strikes out a lot and if you put him into a situation outside his comfort level I don’t think your doing anyone any favors.
‘Can’t be worse than Murphy in LF.’
Well, I’ll agree with you there. Never want to see Murph in LF again.
Two rookies in CF and RF, neither of who can claim either as their natural position, is just asking for disaster, IMO.
“Jordany doesn’t walk much, strikes out a lot and if you put him into a situation outside his comfort level I don’t think your doing anyone any favors.”
This might actually be the most important point I’ve seen regarding the situation.
Valdespin’s offense took off last year when he was moved back to SS and there as a lot of speculation that he wasn’t comfortable and/or happy at 2nd base and it affected his offense. Would this pattern continue in center field? I don’t know, but it is definitely something to keep in mind.
Maybe we could put Allen Dykstra out in CF to join all the other first basemen/LFer’s and DH’s this team has specialized in collecting over the past 7 years.
Valdespin is an incredible athlete and may have the skills to hold down center until Torres returns ,however I doubt that he’s seriously being considered as he would have probaly played their today. Regardless the kid deserves a spot on the roster. Second base should be his. Murphy is awesome ,now he just needs to learn to become a an awesome utility player. He can start with filling in for Wright at 3rd, where he plays his best defense. Valdespin committed a lot of errors over at second and shortstop but mostly because he’s over confident and cocky. Many of those errors were on routine plays. Valdespin also made some fantastic plays at those positions. His problem as Ive said many times before, Valdespin’s biggest problem is that he doesn’t just want to be a star, he already believed that he was a star. Bring him up to Citifield where he can actually be a star and the Mets are gonna have another young piece to their future
“Valdespin committed a lot of errors over at second and shortstop but mostly because he’s over confident and cocky.”
I’m not sure you can blame his attitude for his errors. It’s a leap of faith without proof. This kid has poor defensive technique with his stabbing at ground balls.
Attitude can carry a long way into fundamentals though. If a player doesn’t put the work in or thinks he doesn’t need the help then he can develop poor habits as a direct result really of the poor attitude. I see it all the time as a coach and it is one of the things that separates the top from the bottom. That being said, you see very few really good players who are attitude problems despite the myths. Do they have big egos to manage? Yeah. But they did not get so talented without the ability to listen and learn from someone as well as the work ethic.
I dont like his attitude and he thinks he bigger than the game. He’ll go the way of the dodo (Milledge).
You’re an awesome fan.
Of course Maniac is right,
this kid seems like a real REAL bad guy. He’s gonna create big time problems. Why? I have no idea, maybe he’s nuts……..but if he has the tools the bring him up. At this point i’d rather him get the reps at 2B at least it’s a real position for him. I don’t know what to do with Murphy cuz he’s an outstanding RBI guy, the disparity between him and Wright when it comes to being able to deliver hits in big spots is not even close. Murphy makes a habit of it and you can tell in such a short period of time whereas Wright has made a career of choking but people still love him.
Like what the Knicks have to do to figure out what is the best rotation the Mets have a similar problem only confounded and made worse when The Holy Trinity decided to let Reyes go. If Reyes was here you’d have more people in their proper positions, a better idea of who would fit where & less need to sign journeyman backups
neither of you were pro-Hanley for Wright via trade right?
Maniac is also right. The kid is a douche.
What have you personally seen the kid do that makes you call him a douche. What has he actually done. Cocky at least means he’s confident The kid has star potential . Would you be against Hanley Ramirez playing for the Mets at 500 k? Give the kid a chance. If he comes to Citifield with the wrong attitude I’m sure Terry will set him straight or he’s shipped out for some value and Murph is back at 2nd or Reese Havens is healthy
Valdespin gets a bad rap. I get where people think he’s cocky but I don’t really think it’s that.
He’s a guy who is from the cradle of baseball in the DR and despite his talent didn’t get signed until he was 19. He’s hit everywhere, doubles too and added HR’s last year but I would bet anything that he has constantly been behind a lesser talented player on the depth chart going all the way back to not being signed until 3 years after he was of age.
He’s got a chip on his shoulder and he didn’t have the time to be put behind guys he was better than. He got nothing to sign while Havens, Flores and Satin got plenty.
In 2009 he backed up Satin in Savannah at 2B and Flores at SS and he’s heads and tails better than both of them at those positions. 2010 it was the same thing in St. Lucie only add in Tovar (great glove, bad stick) and Havens I’m sure would have taken a lot of his time last year if he could have stayed on the field. That would make anyone tempermental.
If Jordanny was a fighter he would be Glen Johnson. Always the opponent, always fighting on the road, always getting the short end of a split decision while Havens, Satin and Flores are getting groomed. Nothing against those guys but hey, Valdespin isn’t chopped liver, he needs a bit of attention, the right touch, someone who believes in him, puts him in the right position. That’s what coaching is all about.
The guy can wait on a pitch and flat out drive it down the LF line (He’s LH) or turn on it and drive it to RF but his BA won’t survive as it has everywhere else unless he becomes more selective. Maybe playing behind these guys robbed him of some of that. Ultimately if he makes all the plays that he’s capable of and converts 25% of his K’s into walks his offense will be similar to Murphys.
30 doubles, 15 HR’s and average D is well within his capabilities but he’s got work to do and a year at AAA would be a wise investment.
He slept with my wife.
Sandy is in a real bind – the money he didn’t spend he wanted to use during the summer, not now.
Rushing a kid still unprepared up from the minors would not be in the best interest of our “rebuilding” strategy and thus it appears the Mets will get will some other team’s reject – a prerequisite it seems for making the Met roster nowadays.
It would be nice to see some money less tied up now that the Madoff suit has been resolved. But since Sandy said the team could not afford to take $70 million losses, it’s not likely to happen since he still has that as an excuse.
I wonder where Xtreeme is with his Omar wasn’t prepared to deal the with Injuries spiel!
Hopefully Torres will be back in a day and this whole half baked idea is null and void. But I cant believe the season didn’t start yet and we’ve already tapped out our depth in the outfield. What hell did we do all offseason? Maybe Frank Francisco can cover as a utility outfielder. This is ridiculous. I also want to add that I’ve never heard anything about this Valdespin guy’s attitude. Where is that coming from?
Probably from the 2 suspensions he’s had down on the farm due to behavior problems, for a start.
Old news. He’s young and very capable of change.
Anyway you look at it…this team is a mess…even if they weren’t injury riddled. Might as well give the kid a shot, his defense stinks…guess what, so does Tejada’s and Murphy’s. Who would even notice? Probably hit for a lower average than Tejada but will have some pop. On a team destined for 90 losses, does it really matter which inexperienced SS/2B you go with?
Tejada’s defense does not stink.
You just sounded like a little kid who’s mom just got insulted…”my mom does not stink!” Of course, there is actually plenty of evidence that supports Tejada’s stink-filled defense. Like his 20 career errors in 137 complete major league games. Or that in 54 minor league games in ’11 he had 11 errors, or in ’10 in 65 games he had 10 errors, or in ’09 134 games he had 21 errors…or just to cut to the chase in 453 minor league games, he sports a .954 fielding percentage with 93 errors. Basically, if you calculate those 453 games and 93 errors into an MLB equivalent, it is 2.79 seasons…and 33 errors per season. So, Donal, until he proves otherwise, Tejada’s defense stinks.
for those of you who think valdespin is “just” cocky and not really a problem – he’s been suspended and sent home more than once in the minors for ATTITUDE problems
“his defense stinks…guess what, so does Tejada’s”
you’re a clueless hack if you thinks tejada’s defense stinks
Worked with the bmets last season…this kid has serious attitude issues and was pulled from games several times last year for arguing with Wally.