6
2012
Could Kirk Nieuwenhuis Be The Odd Man Out?
An article by 
When Kirk Nieuwenhuis was called up on April 7th, I’m sure a lot of people weren’t expecting Captain Kirk to have an major impact on the team going forward into the season. Guess what? He has. Luckily, he has done all that and more for the Amazin’s.
Not only has Nieuwenhuis provided the Mets with some key hits offensively, but his defensive ability has really shined and boosted the Mets outfield defensive alignment.
With Jason Bay set to be activated today, could Kirk’s playing time become reduced and somewhat limited?
With Andres Torres starting to swing a hot stick offensively, and Lucas Duda currently the team’s top power source, Terry Collins has a tough call to make in terms of his outfield alignment going forward.
Sadly, I believe Kirk might be one of the guys on his way out. If he is not going to be in the outfield almost every night, he would more than likely be a bench-warmer. If Kirk is only going to be used in defensive switches and pinch-hitting situations, it would be wise for the team to send him back to AAA to have him roam the outfield for the Bisons and play everyday.
Kirk Nieuwenhuis has the skills and the ability to become the Mets full-time center-fielder in the near future. It’s only a matter of time. He does have some pop to his bat, and has good range in the outfield. But as much as I don’t want to see him go, tough decisions will be made and I think Kirk will be prominent in those discussions.
About the Author: Brandon Butler
Brandon is currently a MMO Minor League Staff Writer. He is also the co-host of the Mets Madness Podcast on Talkshoe Radio. Brandon lives in Hornell, NY.
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move Duda to 1st , so simple is that, send Ike down
This.
Kills 2 birds with one stone.
noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo please no. ike should be sent down like angelo said and duda should play first. if ur worried about defense, ike doesnt have that either as last nights loss shows. (still very bitter about that loss). but kirk is a clutch bat that you need in the lineup, especially with unclutch bay coming back.
i think bay will help us though, on both ends
i’ve been hoping that for a while now, lets pray it finally comes through.
ruben not beeing ready is a hard one to swallow, tough june ahead
Per Rubin:
Bay and Beato back; Young on paternity leave; Satin DFA.
Satin had huge erors in ST . I would love to see Beato
I still stand by my prediction that when the season ends, Andres Torres will be on another team and the OF will be Duda-Kirk-Bay with Hairston on the corners at times and hopefully a return of a healthy Baxter off the bench.
If Kirk is sent down then and Ike is kept up then this organization is no better than it was when it was in turmoil a few years ago. I can’t see such an assinine decision like that.
I see it as more of a PT issue, not sending down. They can still use Kirk, but the question is if he isn’t getting enough PT is it better to keep him up (and IMO yes, for the team, for a while).
the real answer is, platoon Bay since he is useless vs. RHP, and there will be plenty of ABs for Kirk, though sadly at the expense of Hairston.
Are you kidding me with this post? Nieuwinhuis has already cemented his spot in the starting lineup. It’s Bay who has to earn the job back, not the other way around. That’s why he’s riding the bench tonight.
Or you could simply Platoon Bay and Torres with Kirk playing the position of whoever is sitting that day!
I really don’t think moving Duda is a wise choice and even less so with moving Murphy!
Bay isn’t getting platooned. Don’t even know why the hell they brought him up without him doing anything in rehab. I would have kept him the full 30 days in rehab if he didn’t hit like he’s supposed to. But the problem is his bat is slower, he has a slider speed bat now.
Another option is move Murph to 1B, let Valdespin actually play since he can actually hit the ball and put him at 2B which is a better position for him than SS. With Ike at Buffalo and find some sucker for Bay. But that will never happen.
Supposedly Ike is with the team because the team asked for him to stay. And if that is truly how they make decisions then there is a major issue.
Kirk is an exciting player, he plays a great center field and gets to balls Torres lets drop in. If he would stop swinging at the high pitch and not be exposed to so many lefties, his K’s would decrease. Kirk has the ability to get the crucial hit when needed. As everyone else here agrees, send down Ike, and the end of the log jam. Maybe look to trade Torres to free up some at bats for Scotty. Bottom line Ike needs to go down, he is brutal to watch, he hits the ball solid three out of twenty and everyone says he finding himself. With Ike & Nickeas in the line up at the same time, it like they are willing to throw that game away. No lineup can afford a 160 hitter, playing two is giving the game away. Nickeas looks a little better choking up on the bat, let him practice as a Bison. Ike looks completely lost. He will find himself and gain back confidence against AAA pitchers.
No matter what the situation may be, Nieuwenhuis will NOT be the odd man out for anyone else. End of story. If anyone looks to be the odd man out, it’s Davis.