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Needing to improve the left side of the infield over the offseason, the New York Mets went out and acquired all-star shortstop Francisco Lindor, however, management didn’t stop there as they also tried to make an upgrade at third base this past winter.

While the front office reportedly made competitive runs at both Justin Turner and Kris Bryant, they came up short in each of those pursuits, forcing them to add depth at the hot corner rather than acquiring one of the top players at that position. As a result, third baseman J.D. Davis entered this spring as the front-runner for the starting role and ultimately came away with that job, although it hasn’t been an encouraging start to the season for the 27-year-old.

Following a disappointing 2020 campaign, where Davis finished tied for the worst OAA (-5) among all qualified third basemen, the Mets were hopeful he’d be able to showcase at least minor improvements involving his defense this season but that hasn’t happened so far. Though it’s still very early in the schedule, the 6′ 3″ infielder’s third season in blue pinstripes has already been somewhat of a disaster, at least defensively, as he’s become a liability in the infield once again.

Over his 38.0 innings at third base in 2021, the former third-round selection has committed three errors, all of which have come over the last two games, producing a -2 OAA, -2 DRS, 0.0 RngR and a 0.0 UZR.

In comparison, the former Houston Astro compiled 269 1/3 innings at third base last season, committing three errors and creating a -5 OAA, -8 DRS, -1.4 RngR, -0.3 UZR and a  -0.9 UZR/150.

Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

While Davis’ current defensive production isn’t nearly as poor as it was in 2020, chances are these troubling metrics will likely continue trending downwards through the remainder of the season, especially since he’s already hit a major low point during the first month of the campaign.

Taking this even further, the former left-fielder has endured the majority of his struggles when aligned straight up at third base, which certainly isn’t a new issue for him. Since his primary starting position has been at that exact spot for most of this season, it doesn’t appear his overall metrics will begin improving unless he’s moved closer to the foul line.

But considering Davis has a history of making mental mistakes, resulting in eight throwing errors since 2018, his location on the diamond probably isn’t going to make a huge difference if he continues second-guessing himself. Whether it’s a matter of still feeling new at the position or thinking about his past failures, the right-hander hasn’t found a way to become more confident in the infield, causing him to hesitate when throwing over to first base.

Despite receiving a vote of confidence from manager Luis Rojas, the offensive-first third baseman was benched for his recent defensive miscues ahead of Thursday’s series finale at Wrigley Field, allowing teammate Luis Guillorme to make his fifth start of 2021 at the hot corner. Making an instant impact, the versatile infielder made a spectacular diving play in the first inning to steal a base hit away from outfielder Ian Happ, who hit the ball at 104.0 mph.

Following the 26-year-old’s noteworthy performance, it’s beginning to feel like Davis could be walking on thin ice regarding the starter’s job and might begin spending additional time on the bench moving forward. Even though it might be a little early to start discussing a controversy regarding the everyday third base role, it seems like that’s where this situation is heading if something doesn’t change in the near future.

Not so long ago, it appeared Guillorme was making a strong case to earn regular playing time throughout the 2021 campaign, although he’s only been utilized off the bench and as an injury replacement up to this point. But with the starting gig seemingly up for grabs, at least for now, perhaps the former 10th-round selection could force his way into becoming a mainstay on the left side of the diamond.

Despite spending just 30.0 innings at third base last season, the 5′ 10″ infielder performed respectably during his limited opportunities, recording a 1 OAA, -0.2 Rng, -0.2 UZR and a 2.1 UZR/150. In addition, he also didn’t commit a single error during that span.

Surpassing his innings total from the 2020 campaign, Guillorme has already played 44 2/3 innings at third base in 2021, although his defensive metrics are quite surprising given his reputation for being a defensive-first player. Underperforming out of the gate, at least for his standards, the Coral Springs Charter HS product has generated a shocking -3 OAA, -2 DRS, -0.1 RngR, -1.0 UZR and a -76.1 UZR/150.

In particular, the native of Venezuela has struggled fielding balls when ranging in towards home plate, resulting in a -2 OAA during those situations. That being said, he produced a 1 OAA during those same plays in 2020, meaning there’s a strong chance he’ll clean up those recent mistakes and gradually improve his overall results through the rest of the season.

Along with Guillorme, veteran Jonathan Villar is also expected to continue receiving opportunities at the hot corner, although his versatility will likely see him spend time at multiple different positions. But based on his mediocre offensive production, he’s posted a slashing line of .259/.310/.444/.755 through 29 plate appearances, it’s fairly unlikely he’d make a competitive bid for the everyday third base role.

If Davis’ defense continues costing the Mets wins, they’ll need to make the tough decision and start prioritizing defense over offense at third base, however, Guillorme has proven he can make an impact at the plate.

At that point, the right-handed slugger would essentially be limited to pinch-hitting duties during late-game situations, and based on his clutch ninth-inning double on Thursday night, moving him into that type of role might not be such a terrible idea.