BATS NOT RIGHT
The Mets need to go out and find an outfielder with power heading into the 2018 season
WASHINGTON — Even before Yoenis Cespedes limped off the field Friday night or even before Michael Conforto went down with a dislocated shoulder, the Mets needed to bring in an outfielder for 2018.
The final 35 games of this season should make that pretty clear as the Mets play a mix of Juan Lagares, Brandon Nimmo, Travis Taijeron, Matt Reynolds and possibly Jose Reyes down the stretch.
Lagares, who went 1-for-5 with an RBI in the Mets’ 9-4 loss to the Nationals Saturday, has proven to be an excellent late-game defensive outfielder and a platoon player against lefthanded pitching, but in part of five seasons in the majors, the 28-yearold is a career .258 hitter with a .297 onbase percentage and .651 OPS. As one Mets source said, he has “just never turned the corner” offensively.
Nimmo has a chance to earn himself a spot as a fourth outfielder for next season. The 24-year-old has shown consistent progress offensively. He went 0-for-4 Saturday, snapping a streak of hitting safely in his previous nine games and is batting .318 with three doubles and seven runs over that time. He has already proven himself to be a good pinch hitter. He is hitting .264 in 34 games in the big leagues this season, but has yet to show any power. He is slugging .333 in parts of two seasons in the big leagues. There are some in the Mets organization that think the power is in the young outfielder, but they are not confident he will ever find it, particularly if he doesn’t learn how to pull the ball.
Taijeron, the 28-year-old journeyman minor leaguer, has been held back in the organization because of his tendency to strike out and some defensive lapses. He has always had power though, and that is what the Mets are going to need an assurance of heading into next season. He went 0-for-4 in his major league debut Saturday.
Looking at the projected lineup next season, the Mets, a team that has been built on power and pitching, could have only confidently predicted that they would get power from Cespedes and Conforto. Now, with both likely having ended their 2017 with injuries, the need for another power-hitting outfielder has grown.
Conforto suffered a tear in the posterior of his left shoulder capsule when he dislocated it on Thursday. He will be examined on Monday back in New York and the Mets are hoping they will have a better idea of how the condition will be treated. Conforto could seek a second opinion after that, but surgery is the most likely course and that recovery time, four to six months, would already be pushing up against a return in time for a full spring training.
And the Mets are not certain that Conforto, who hit 27 home runs before he went down, would be able to produce as much power next season after whatever treatment he chooses.
But he’s not the only question mark.
Cespedes hit .292 with 17 home runs and 42 RBI in 81 games this season for the Mets. He will head into 2018 coming off a down year in which he suffered two serious leg injuries. He missed 38 games earlier this season with a strained left hamstring. He was diagnosed with a strained right hamstring Friday night.
He is already looking to change up his training regimen to be able to stay on the field next year. He said Friday night that he knows he has to change it up from the bulk he put on his legs last winter, but at the same time said it was likely he would continue to work with the Mets controversial coordinator of strength and conditioning Mike Barwis.
“I wouldn’t say necessarily different methods. That doesn’t mean I am not going to be there working with Barwis,” said Cespedes. “I think it just means with him we’re probably going to look at doing some different exercises.”
The 31-year-old also missed games in 2016 with a right quad issue. The Mets were so concerned about his frequent leg issues that they had his back tested after his first injury this season to see if there was an underlying issue that could explain it. There is also some concern that the leg issues were hindering his power this season.
Even with Cespedes and Conforto healthy, the Mets really needed to add another outfielder for next season. Now they have the rest of this season to see exactly why.