From 2004 through 2014, one question the Mets never had to ask themselves heading into spring training was who is going to play third base?
David Wright was the cornerstone the Mets built around and every Opening Day lineup slotted No. 5 in as the starting third baseman. Since injuries derailed and ultimately ended Wright’s career though, the Mets have been searching to find an answer at his old position, without much luck at finding a long-term solution.
Now here we are once again heading into a spring training and the question of “who’s on third?” is among the most widely-debated topics of conversation for this ballclub.
No matter what they say publicly, the Mets are not confident with starting J.D. Davis everyday. Their actions speak louder than any public words, as the rumors around trade targets like Kris Bryant, Eugenio Suarez and Kyle Seager, amongst others, illustrates the Mets desire to upgrade at that position.
The problem with Davis has nothing to do with his bat, as there is enough upside to warrant 500 plate appearances considering his performance in 2019 (.895 OPS and 136 wRC+). Still, the glove is a real problem for Davis and one that has only been magnified without the advent of the universal DH.
With -19 defensive runs saved in just 770 innings played at third base, Davis has proven to be more detrimental to his team’s success than even Daniel Murphy was across his first full season playing second base in 2012, where he posted an abysmal -11 DRS in 1,272.2 innings.
The best way for the Mets to be successful in 2021 is to keep Davis off the field as much as possible defensively. This is where a platoon with defensive-whiz Luis Guillorme makes a lot of sense.
Why Luis Guillorme Warrants More Playing Time
At this stage in Luis Guillorme’s young career, he has appeared in 109 games and has registered just 37 starts. Davis on the other hand has 262 career games played, with 190 starts. Yet despite that difference in playing time, Guillorme has produced a career bWAR of 0.8, whereas Davis’ mark comes in at 0.4 bWAR.
One simply cannot understate the defensive value that the bearded 26-year-old brings to the table, as Guillorme has outstanding baseball instincts and incredibly soft hands. As a prospect, fielding was the only 70-tool that Guillorme carried and it has now gotten him to the show.
While his best position is second base, the defensive prowess Guillorme exhibits should translate to any position on the infield and was still apparent in his limited playing time at the hot corner last season. In only 10 attempts at the position, Guillorme was worth 1 OAA at third base in 2020.
By playing Guillorme next to Francisco Lindor, the Mets could not only shore up the defense on that side of the infield, but also protect Dominic Smith a bit out in left field. A Guillorme/Lindor left side of the infield would be a vacuum cleaning operation where extra-base hits would go to die.
On the contrary, New York could also start Guillorme at second base against right-handed pitching, allowing a dynamic double play combination to form with Lindor, while Jeff McNeil shifts to third.
Personally, I prefer keeping McNeil locked into his natural position this year, allowing him to form great continuity next to Pete Alonso at first base. Still, either defensive alignment would be far superior than any that includes Davis starting at third.
Now offensively there is a drop-off when it comes to starting Guillorme over Davis, but not as stark as the difference between the two players defensively.
Since the All-Star break in 2019, Guillorme is hitting .319/.412/.454, with a .866 OPS across 106 plate appearances. It would be unlikely to see him replicate his 144 wRC+ from 2020 over a full season, but even if Guillorme is a league-average offensive player, his defense make him a net-positive.
What would be a great advantage to platooning Guillorme with Davis, is that it would highlight their offensive strengths as they hit from opposite sides.
Throughout his career, Guillorme has a paltry .513 OPS in 38 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. Meanwhile Davis’ right-handed bat crushes lefties, to the tune of a .832 OPS over 306 PA.
If the Mets decided to fully buy-in to this platoon approach at third base, we could see some pretty defined roles that both young players can thrive in.
Putting the Platoon Into Action
The beauty of forming this platoon between J.D. Davis and Luis Guillorme is that it would highlight their strengths.
For Davis, his role would be to start against all left-handed pitching, get his three or four at-bats while the starter was on the mound, before being replaced by Guillorme late in games to try to protect any Mets lead.
On his off-days, Davis could become a great weapon that Luis Rojas can deploy as a pinch hitter whenever the situation calls for it. With the three-batter minimum rule and no universal DH, there will surely be plenty of great opportunities to get Davis to the plate in big spots to produce runs for the Mets.
It is also worth noting that Davis hit .333/.404/.690, when entering the game as a sub in 2019, with an outstanding 1.095 OPS. He can thrive in a role like this one, because we have seen him do so before.
Meanwhile for Guillorme, the Mets can get his glove onto the field as much as possibly by starting him against all right-handed pitchers, and using him as a defensive replacement in days he doesn’t start. If Davis were the everyday starter, Guillorme’s potential defensive impact would be mitigated greatly.
Also, when looking at how loaded this team is offensively, Guillorme would not be hurting the Mets lineup in the slightest if he was batting eighth. Even if the soft-hitting infielder fails to do much more than get on-base, he can at least clear the pitcher’s spot or put himself in scoring position for when the lineup turns over.
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As we near the end of the offseason, fans can still dream about a star-studded left side of the infield that includes both Lindor and Kris Bryant, or any of the other rumored trade targets available. But if the Mets have to stay in house, this is an intriguing option.
A platoon of J.D. Davis and Luis Guillorme could prove to be the best way to maximize the talent that exists on this roster, while solving the long-lasting questions at the hot corner for the Mets. At least for one season.
