(Updated 11/16)
With Daniel Murphy having played his last game with the New York Mets, it appears the team is “very serious” about Dilson Herrera being the starting second baseman next season, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.
Rubin adds that the plan this offseason for the Mets is to find a backup infielder who can cover second base, but that Herrera has the everyday job.
VP of Player Development Paul DePodesta gave Rubin a quick assessment of Herrera while at the GM Meetings in Boca Raton.
“He always hit,” DePodesta said. “He’s got excellent bat speed. He’s shown some control of the strike zone. For a smaller guy, he does a lot of damage. And he also plays with a lot of life. This is a guy with a lot of energy, both offensively and defensively. I think it rubs off on his teammates.”
DePodesta stopped short of anointing Herrera the Opening Day second baseman. “It’s still a long way from now until April, and we don’t know all the different opportunities that may present themselves between now and then. It’s certainly an option for us.”
Last week, Sandy Alderson called Herrera “a viable alternative” to replace Murphy, and that it’s very likely they will open the season with a middle-infield combination of Wilmer Flores, Ruben Tejada and the 21-year old Herrera.
The Mets have regarded Herrera as their second baseman of the future ever since he was acquired in 2013 from the Pirates in a deal that sent Marlon Byrd and John Buck to Pittsburgh for Herrera and reliever Vic Black.
Herrera, batted .327 with a .382 OBP and .511 slugging in 364 plate appearances with Triple-A Las Vegas last season. He collected 23 doubles, 11 home runs, 50 RBI, 60 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases as the youngest player in the Pacific Coast League.
While he’s been a little overwhelmed at times in his two cups of coffee in the majors, he has shown some flashes of power hitting six home runs in 149 at-bats, and his short compact swing has drawn the praise of his manager at Las Vegas, Wally Backman.
“For Dilson, it’s just a matter of working in all aspects of the game. He shows lots and lots of promise. Just the energy he brings to the game, the way he plays the game, the nice swing. He’s just a kid still. I know other people have said it — and I believe it, too — I think the kid, at some point in time, can be an All-Star.”
It looks like Herrera will get a full shot next season, so not sure about the rumors that Mets are making a strong push for Ben Zobrist or any other everyday alternatives out there.
