With Saturday’s minor-league demotions of New York Mets infielder Adeiny Hechavarria and Rajai Davis, among others, and the ongoing injury issues Jed Lowrie and Todd Frazier have been facing, the path has been paved for two somewhat unlikely candidates in Luis Guillorme and J.D. Davis to make the Mets’ Opening Day roster.
With the outstanding springs both players have had, each is deserving of their respective, potential nods. And with the skill sets that both Guillorme and Davis bring to the table, it would bring a certain dynamic to this team’s roster that hasn’t necessarily been present over the last few years.
Between Guillorme’s versatility in the field, his 70-grade glove, and his knack for putting the ball in play, the 24-year-old Florida native should be an ideal utility guy/pinch-hitting option for manager Mickey Callaway. If he can hit as he has at the minor-league level, he may even find himself sticking around once Lowrie returns.
Over six MiLB seasons, Guillorme owns a .287/.363/.338 slash line with just 272 strikeouts in 2,322 plate appearances. His .701 OPS is nothing to write home about, but every other facet of his game should play extremely well in the majors. Unfortunately, he’s never really gotten that chance.
Over 74 plate appearances last season, his first call-up to the major leagues, Guillorme hit .209/.284/.239. This spring, presumably knowing his chances with the Mets could be running short, the infielder has kicked things into gear. Over 44 plate appearances, he’s hitting .371/.476/.571 with one home run, four doubles, four RBI, six strikeouts, and five walks.
Whether he’s coming into the game as a defensive replacement, as a pinch-hitter, or getting an occasional start to give Robinson Cano or Jeff McNeil a breather at second or third, respectively, Guillorme is going to have plenty of chances to show off his skills. It’s up to him to make the most of those opportunities.
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As for Davis, the 25-year-old corner infielder and outfielder has taken full advantage of the ample opportunities Callaway has given him this spring. Over 58 Grapefruit League plate appearances, the California product has slashed .296/.345/.426 with a homer, four doubles, eight RBI, 11 strikeouts and four walks.
He’s seen time at both first and third base this spring, making a handful of fine plays at both stations, and has even spent some time in the outfield with decent results. He’s gone the other way regularly this spring, including two more opposite-field hits against the Astros on Friday night in West Palm Beach.
If given the chance to make the ball club, which is by no means guaranteed at this point considering he still has minor-league options available, Davis will also need to earn his mettle to garner half-consistent playing time.
With McNeil manning third until Frazier’s ready for action, that could be his ticket to DC this week. The situation at first base is practically sewn up between Pete Alonso and Dominic Smith, with both expected spend time at the position. How that time will be divvied up is yet to be determined.
In the outfield, Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo are expected to be in the lineup on an everyday basis, so limited appearances at third base appear to be all the chances Davis is going to get this season. That is unless things go terribly wrong for this Mets squad.
But for now, the scenario being as it is should allow both Guillorme and Davis to get a crack at the highest level and see what they have to offer. How long they stay with the big club will be entirely up to them.
