Omar Per asks MMO…
Why are so many fans panicking over the shortstop position this offseason when next winter Hanley Ramirez, Jed Lowrie, J.J. Hardy, Yunel Escobar, Asdrubal Cabrera and Jimmy Rollins will all be entering free agency?
Joe D. replies…
Great question and the short answer is that Met fans, including myself, are clearly frustrated with the team’s performance over the last three years and are ready for some change. Losing lowers morale and creates a disconnect which has already manifested itself in declining attendance, listernership and viewership on a massive scale.
As to the point of your question however, you are right. There certainly appears to be a bumper crop at shortstop and even if one or two are resigned by there teams, there should still be more than the two quality shortstops that were available this offseason.
I suspect that the pick of the litter, Hanley Ramirez, will most likely never make it to free agency unless his demands are in the Robinson Cano range. If the Dodgers don’t have an extension in place by the trade deadline, I suspect he’ll be traded for an incredible haul of talent and the new team will get a negotiating window to get a deal done.
I think Cabrera, Lowrie and Hardy could be good fits for the Mets, and who knows any of them may also become available at the trade deadline if their teams become sellers.
Thanks for the question…
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