19
2012
Hairston Making His Case For Full-Time Gig
An article by 
Scott Hairston has made it clear that he wants the chance to be an every day outfielder. He said it earlier this week, and continues to back it up with his play in the field. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but at this point, he is probably the Mets best option heading into 2013.
Hairston was 3-4 with three doubles again last night. He has raised his average to .274, to go along with his 14 homeruns. Not too shabby from a guy that made me laugh when the Mets resigned him in 2012. I can remember the conversation I had with my friend like it was yesterday:
Friend: The Mets signed Hairston.
Mitch: Not bad, but I thought they wanted Murphy to play 2b? Maybe they’re moving him to the outfield again? It’s a nice utility infielder.
Friend: Not that Hairston, Scott Hairston…
Mitch: What?!?!
Friend: hahahahahaha!
Who’s laughing now?
What I like about Hairston is that he’s hungry. He’s the only player in the Mets outfield that has proclaimed he wants to be an everyday player. He is definitely strengthening his case as the season progresses. That’s the kind of passion and fire I like to see in players. Hairston is also an aging veteran who recognizes that this Mets outfield may be his last chance to be an everyday player.
Here’s what I would do with Hairston the rest of the year – make him an everyday outfielder for the remainder of the season. Let’s see how he responds. With more at bats, he could excel even more. The flipside is that with more at bats, his weaknesses will be exposed, and the reasons why he was never been able to nail down a starting role may float to the surface.
I’m not saying Hairston should be a starting outfielder, especially given his age and the fact he has never held down an everyday role before. But his reliable play this year has at least earned him the opportunity to be in the mix to lock down a job for 2013.
Maybe that’s why the Mets never traded him.
About the Author: Mitch Petanick
Mitch is currently an Editor and Minor League Analyst for Mets Merized Online. His baseball experience includes being a former All-Conference collegiate baseball player who had numerous professional tryouts, and he is currently a hitting instructor. He has been involved with the game of baseball for over 30 years now as a player, coach, and consultant. Mitch is also a former Featured Columnist on Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @FirstPitchMitch.
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Love what Hairston has done, but not trading him was the wrong move. he was probably our best trading chip on the 25. We could have always brought him back in the offseason, right?
Scott Hairston probably will be put on waviers. I agree he should have been traded particularly to Detroit. Detroit was foolosh not to give up a chip for him. Their OF is as pathetic as the Mets w/o Hairston.
I agree he has earned the right to play everyday and has earned the right to an extention and raise (Will he get the raise? Doubtful with Sandy but you never know!)
That said while he has earned the right to play everyday he has not earned his way into the long term plans (if any exist) of the Mets.
Right now he is giving us some of what we hoped Bay would give us but hasn’t. A RH bat with a bit of POP that is in short suppy around here.
But Hairston alone is not enough to make finding a power RH bat (to complement and help Wright) go away.
Lets not forget that this year not withstanding, last year was not all that great of a shake. .235 BA is what we got so you have to wonder which one are you getting if you resign him? 2011 or 2012?
I say despite that it is worth it to sign him to a 2 or 3 year contract instead of this 1 year at a time crap we have been doing. I think all these 1 year deals are a waste of signing as they show a lack of committment because you like the guy enough to get him, but don’t trust that opinion enough to go 2 or 3 years on him!
Hairston makes 1.1 Million. What would be so risky last year about signing him for 3 years at that price or for 6 Mil over the course of three years after base and incentives were calculated? .8 Mil more per year now will be cheaper than the 3 Mil he is going to ask for after what he did this year!
People think I have a problem with buying cheap talent off the crap pile as a low risk high reward signing but thats only becuase they only look at each year at a time feigning long term view while I’m saying if the guy is willing to take 1.1 mil per year, and you think he is worth having then why not get that player for 3 at that rate in case your right? THEN you got a bargain as opposed to the cheap rentals we have been getting from guys like Capuano Young and maybe soon Hairston. And if your wrong what did it really cost you? 2.2 Million?
So yes they should resign Hairston and if the price is right sign him to a multiyear contract so we can have that bargain for long enough to find a better replacement and when we do, have a trade chip who is more than just a 6 Month rental and gets you more back.
I was one of those who criticised the Hairston signing this offseason but he has showed me he is a player this year. too bad that when people suggest the way to build a team is to find cheap players who can contribute like the more expensive ones, they lose those players because they didn’t have the faith in thier evaluation to lock up that player and commit to that evaluation.
If we had Hairston would get the big rasie he is going to get in November and if we wanted to trade him right now we might actually get a prospect for him since he would be locked up for another year or two to the team who traded for him!
It’s one thing to have convictions and ideas but they fail if you don’t commit to them and what you think is the right move!
Metsie, I must disagree with you on this. Hairston has not earned the right to be an everyday player. He’s had that chance many times before in his career and all he ever proved was that he’s an automatic out against RHP. Bring Hairston back as a 4th OF, but nothing more than that. We already have too many bench players filling everyday roles so lets not add to our Pandora’s Box of ailments.
OMF – I think the difference is we may both have different definitions of what earning the right to be an everyday player actually entails…
First off I don’t care what a guy did anywhere else or before he got here….
You wouldn’t hold Dickey’s previous pre-met performance against him would you?
But that said, when I say that Hairsto has earned the right to be an everyday player that statement is limited to this year, this team and this current roster and in ALL cases whwre they earn that right it does not mean they hae earned that right for life!
They have it until someone else earns the right and takes the position from them!
Considering the fact that Kirk and Duda are both in the Minors, Bay and Torres are what they are and Baxter has also earned the right to play everyday.
I sure would rather have Hairston be a defacto starter over Bay or Torres and he should be the first option unless he needs a day off or is hurting except in a few occassional cases where you want a LH batter instead.
SO when I say he has earned the right tha right is for this year and until someone else earns the right FROM him to take his place!
Earning the right is a not a career long award in my book.
You have to keep earning that right and so far of the players we have avai;lable to play Hairston has earned that right more than Torres, Bay, and maybe even Valdespin to a degree.
Right now the guys we should be playing everyday are Hairston, Baxter, and Valdespin.
They want to sub in guys based on matchup or pitching faced fine but the starting off point should be those guys are the starters unless something else says you can get an ede by starting someone else that day.
And thats what I mean by earning the right!
Disagree. He’s a platoon player at best. A good one, but that’s all.
Name a platoon partner who gives you more in games they replace him than he gives you!
You guys keep giving these guys role ratings as if they were on some other phantom MLB team.
Like it or not whatever you think Hairston is someplace else he is one of the best OFers we have today!
And you have to make start and everyday decisions by what you HAVE not based on what everyone has or what you want to have but don’t!
@metsie i understand what you are saying, and you obviously understand what the point of this piece was. Everyone breaking down stats and advising he’s nothing more than a platoon player in comparison to outfielders on other teams is duly noted…but we are speaking in reference to the Mets only. There is no Mets player, that has made more of a case to be an every day outfielder in 2013, than Hairston.
I agree which is why I said Hairston has earned the right but it’s not a right for life…
It’s his right until someone else earns his spot!
And they should be able to do that replacing all the other guys we have in the OF who are playing who haven’t earned even half the right hairston has so far!
namely Torres, and Bay!
SO instead of sitting Hairston who deserves to play more than those two sit those two until such time as they and the guy we have played instead of them show they deserve to start more than Hairston does!
SPLITS AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K AVG OBP SLG OPS
vs. Left 141 45 15 0 9 26 7 25 .319 .351 .617 .968
vs. Right 122 27 6 2 5 18 9 37 .221 .275 .426 .701
A good platoon player and marginal regular.
How about both of the lefties they sent down. Just off the top of my head.
Again…are they here? NO!
Great to build your team basedon what you dont’t have isn’t it?
For that fact Roy Halladay is the only one who has earned the right to be out #1 starter…
No one else on the team compares…Does that mean none of thse guys should be used as our #1 starter?
Or earned the right to be it?
Please, just stop. You’re embarrassing yourself. The article was about 2013. Yes, those players are in the discussion. Roy Halladay. Honestly….
Yeah well the Author said:
“but we are speaking in reference to the Mets only”
SO who emarassed themselves here? Sure wasn’t me!
Also from the Author:
“and you obviously understand what the point of this piece was”
So you are the one who embarassed himself by not really comprehending what the author was trying to say!
But thats what you and Jessup always seem to do when you miss the point of what someone says, Take the “YOUR SUPERIOR” attitude and the rest of us should just be ambarassed for trying to speak on the same blog as the GREAT YOUTH BRIGADE!
Well you got embarassed this time by suggesting someone who ACTUALLY READ and COMPREHENDED the POINT of the piece should be embarassed and not the high and Mighty member of the SMUG BRIGADE!
Correction: Hairston has never been given an everyday opportunity. He was behind Gonzo in Arizona and didn’t play everyday in San Diego or Oakland. This would be his first opportunity. Give him the chance. He’s healthier and hungrier than ever. He is their most consistent player besides Wright and Tejada. He has shown what he can do with limited at-bats. The more he sees the more he will hit.