UPDATE (9/18/14 – 4:50pm)
Mike Puma’s report also talked about the idea that a major league scout believes the Mets would be better off trading for a left fielder. That would mean finding an internal solution at shortstop. Here’s what that scout had to say about the situation:
“If they went into the offseason and [Flores] is their shortstop and they don’t find anybody else, I mean, they have bigger issues than shortstop. Left field is probably their biggest need.”
Original Story (9/18/14 – 12:40pm)
While many think the Mets need to pursue a shortstop outside of the organization during the off season, it seems as though Sandy Alderson and the brain trust are getting comfortable with the idea of sticking Wilmer Flores there in 2015.
“We’re getting a lot more comfortable,” Alderson told the New York Post. “One of the reasons for giving [Flores] as much playing time as we have is to build up his number of plate appearances to get him more comfortable to try to establish sort of a baseline.”
Those plate appearances have mounted in 2014. He has had more than twice as many at bats this year as opposed to 2013 and his batting average is up year over year. In 2013 he appeared in just 27 games, hitting .211. Now he has his average at .246 and is making decisions more difficult for Alderson heading into 2015.
“There are a lot of things to take into account, the more recent at-bats I think are probably, one would hope, more reflective of his ability. At the same time, it is September and there may be a certain discount there, I’m not sure how much” (NYP).
Las Vegas 51’s manager Wally Backman might be Flores’ biggest fan.
“He’s the best RBI guy I’ve ever managed,” he said. “He can have some ugly at-bats at times, but he’s absolutely big-time in RBI situations. I hit him third this year and I had a few guys say, ‘You’re hitting him third?’ I said, ‘Just wait,’ and he drove in a ton of big runs. He just has a way of getting the job done in those situations. Keith was like that. The bigger the situation the better” (John Harper, Daily News)
After many a disparaging remark about Wilmer Flores this season and a clear reluctance to playing him until he was forced to do so, even manager Terry Collins is coming around on the 23-year old infielder.
“He’s shown that there’s no reason why if he continues to swing the bat the way he is, that he can’t be a middle-of-the-lineup, everyday shortstop.”
So while Harper points out that he’s no Troy Tulowitzki, maybe Flores can be the starting shortstop for a team loaded with young pitchers, looking for a power bat towards in the middle of the lineup.
