Last week, Mike Puma of the New York Post reported that it was not a slam dunk that Ruben Tejada would be tendered a contract this offseason. He heard that the Mets could turn to Matt Reynolds instead who will compete with Wilmer Flores for the starting shortstop job.
Adam Rubin of ESPN New York is reaffirming the initial report, citing financial reasons.
“Tejada earned $1.88 million this past season. Initial projections are the arbitration-eligible Tejada’s salary would exceed $3 million in 2016 if the club went to a hearing. That appears beyond what the Mets want to spend for someone who may be a backup with a twice-fractured fibula.”
While he only batted .261 with thee home runs in 2015, Tejada won back his starting job with a strong showing late in the season. He hit .297 with a .763 OPS in September, but he tragically had his postseason cut short due to the dirty take out slide by Chase Utley in the NLDS.
Meanwhile, Matt Reynolds batted .265 with six home runs and 65 RBI in Triple-A Las Vegas. He was rated as the 7th best prospect in the system by MLB Pipeline and he could soon develop into a solid player for New York.
This is the right way to go. To pay $3 million for a backup middle infielder with a .633 career OPS while you have Matt Reynolds waiting for an opportunity would be counterproductive for the Mets. And there’s a strong possibility that Reynolds could prove to be a much better offensive player.
Defensively, the Mets have to be concerned on how much more limited Tejada’s range will be after his second broken leg. The overall defense at short was bottom ten in MLB across several defensive metrics, and Tejada could be worse next season.
Additionally, going with Reynolds will free up about $2.5 million that can be put toward upgrading another area like the bullpen or perhaps center field, shortstop or second base. That, and the fact that it also opens up a 40-man roster spot which the Mets could use right now as they prepare for the Rule 5 Draft next month.
(Updated 11/19)
