With Spring Training games right around the corner, we will soon see players battling it out in Port St. Lucie for the last few spots on the Mets 26-man Opening Day roster. One player who should be on that roster, regardless of his performance during Spring Training, is infielder Luis Guillorme.
Despite seeing playing time with the Mets in 2018 and 2019, Guillorme will still be considered a rookie in 2020, as he has only had 128 at-bats in the major leagues. On the surface, his statistics from those 128 at-bats are not terribly impressive. Guillorme has slashed just .227/.303/.297 in 80 games in the majors and has a bWAR of only 0.3.
However, all of that should be taken with a grain of salt. It is very difficult to produce on a consistent basis when you are given inconsistent playing time. Guillorme’s longest streak of consecutive games started is only five, which he did in 2018 from May 30 through June 3. It should also be noted that he is only 25 years old and won’t be turning 26 until the end of September, so he still has plenty of time to make improvements.
Guillorme has also flashed his potential in the minor leagues. He had 277 PA at Triple-A Syracuse in 2019, during which he slashed .307/.412/.452 and had only three more strikeouts (42) than he did walks (39).
Perhaps Guillorme’s greatest asset is his versatility in the field. He can play second base, third base and shortstop. While a player who can play three infield positions is valuable for any team, this is especially the case for the Mets considering their lack of infield depth.
Entering 2020, the Mets’ infield is projected to be Pete Alonso at first base, Robinson Cano at second base, Amed Rosario at shortstop and Jeff McNeil at third base. That leaves Dominic Smith, who can only play first base and has been the subject of trade talks, and Jed Lowrie, who missed nearly all of last season due to a knee issue and recently arrived at Spring Training in a massive knee brace. There’s also the fact that Cano is coming off a dreadful season, and if his struggles continue into 2020 the Mets will need someone to take over his spot.
Mets fans would hate to see the team let Guillorme leave and then watch him emerge into a very solid player elsewhere, a situation all too familiar to Mets fans. Justin Turner was once a backup infielder for the Mets who didn’t play on a regular basis and didn’t put together eye-popping numbers but offered a lot of versatility on the diamond. He was non-tendered by the team after the 2013 season, and I don’t need to remind Mets fans of what he has done with the Los Angeles Dodgers since then.
Guillorme may not emerge into an All-Star the way Turner did with the Dodgers, but he has shown that he deserves a larger role on the team and may see his statistics improve with more consistent playing time. This is not to say that Guillorme should be penciled into the starting lineup every day, but he should be the primary reserve infielder and shouldn’t have to worry about constantly bouncing between Queens and Syracuse throughout the season.
There’s also the fact that the Mets are not a team that is frequently blessed with good health, and if Cano, Rosario or McNeil miss significant time due to an injury, Guillorme can slip right in and take over until they recover. But even if Cano, Rosario and McNeil do stay healthy throughout the season, Guillorme still deserves to have his name announced by Howie Rose on Opening Day.
