Anthony C. asks…
I think the Mets need one more key piece to truly make this team complete and ready to dominate the NL East and make another World Series run. That final piece of the puzzle would be Juan Uribe. Is there any chance the Mets could re-sign him on a one year deal?
Joe D. replies….
Of course as long as Uribe remains available the possibility exists that the Mets could reach out and sign him. But I don’t see that happening for a number of different reasons.
Let me first begin by saying I was a huge fan of the deal that brought Uribe and Kelly Johnson to the Mets last season. The Mets needed a proven third baseman while David Wright was still out with spinal stenosis. and Uribe fit the bill. Additionally, he was a positive influence in the clubhouse and he kept things loose in the heat of a pennant race. He also gave the team someone with a lot of postseason experience under his belt which was something the Mets lacked.
Uribe, 37, batted just .219 in 44 games with the Mets, but he rose to the occasion a few times with some key timely hits. He did account for 9 doubles, 6 home runs and 20 RBI in a part-time role while posting a .731 OPS. Unfortunately, he missed a lot of time as the season wound down due to a chest injury that limited him to just one postseason at-bat – a pinch hit RBI single.
This season, things are very different for the Mets. For one they added second baseman Neil Walker and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera which opened up a huge opportunity for Wilmer Flores to fill a super utility role. Flores will essentially spell David Wright at third base in 2016, and the team plans to have him train at first base this Spring and expect him to be the primary backup to Lucas Duda.
At a recent event at Citi Field, GM Sandy Alderson said he predicts Flores will get about 400 at-bats this season while playing all four infield positions. And the 25-year old Flores should easily outproduce Uribe offensively as that right-handed bat off the bench. Wilmer torched left-handed pitchers with a .310/.355/.600 triple-slash last season.
The Mets also opted to offer infielder Ruben Tejada arbitration and the two sides setlled on a $3 million dollar contract last week for the upcoming season. He’s the team’s best defensive shortstop for now and is a big Terry Collins favorite who has a knack for coming through in the clutch.
Considering all that, where exactly does Uribe fit in? And unlike last season, almost everyone on the team now has at least three rounds of postseason experience under their belts including the World Series. The Mets are still a young team, but they are also a very confident bunch. So Uribe’s postseason experience is no longer the needed asset it was when they acquired him last season.
Bottom Line – I think the Mets are all set in the infield with Duda, Walker, Cabrera, Wright, Flores and Tejada, And if by chance Tejada falters or there’s some unforeseen injury, the Mets still have Matt Reynolds and Dilson Herrera waiting in the wings. Thanks for the question.
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