CALL ’EM CLUB AMED
METS M FINALLY BRING UP ROSARIO, EXPECTED TO PLAY TONIGHT
DENVER — Amen for Amed. The prayers of Mets fans everywhere will be answered Tuesday, when the organization’s top prospect, Amed Rosario, is promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas to make his major league debut against the Rockies at Coors Field.
Rosario’s arrival will signify the start of the Mets rebuilding toward 2018, with another highly regarded prospect, Dominic Smith, not far behind, according to general manager Sandy Alderson.
The 21-year-old Rosario, a slick-fielding shortstop, had a .328/ .367/.466 slash line with seven homers and 58 RBIs this season for Triple-A Las Vegas and represented the organization in the All-Star Futures Game.
“I think he’s going to get polished in the big leagues,” minor league infield instructor Tim Teufel told The Post. “He’s one of those exciting players who has got a lot of skills. It’s going to be a great time for him. I think it’s going to elevate his excitement for the game again.”
Teufel said it had become evident Rosario was bored in the minor leagues.
“You could tell he was ready for the next challenge,” Teufel said. “I think it was the right time to bring him up.” What are Rosario’s strengths? “He does real well at coming in on balls,” Teufel said. “Anything in front of him he’s real good at. It’s all the other plays he’s got to become more polished. He can make the long throw in the hole. It’s going to be the accuracy. The good ones finish them off.
“He’s not a finished product yet. He’s going to learn a lot up there. He’s going to learn how to be a big leaguer.”
Alderson said his plan since the middle of June had been to navigate the Mets through the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline before promoting Rosario and Smith.
Lucas Duda was traded to the Rays last week, creating an opening at first base for Smith, but the Mets failed to trade veteran Asdrubal Cabrera, leaving the team with extra infielders, with a cast that also includes Jose Reyes, Neil Walker and Wilmer Flores.
“I think the flexibility our existing infielders possess gives us the flexibility to move some pieces around to give Amed an opportunity to play shortstop,” Alderson said. “So it was a combination of just getting through the hullabaloo of the trade deadline and then at the same time allowing some of the other players to get more familiar with the other positions. Plus [Rosario] continued to play real well.”
Alderson declined to provide a timetable on the arrival of Smith to play first base. The GM was asked if perhaps Smith would be promoted within the week.
“Maybe I will get more definitive in a week, but right now not far behind [Rosario],” he said.
With the Mets buried in both the NL East and wildcard races, Alderson wants to start planning for the future.
“We want to see what we have, so going into next season or going into the offseason we will have a better sense of what we need,” Alderson said. “But I think it’s important for guys like Rosario and Smith to get more than just playing time in September. To make it meaningful, it has to be a little bit longer than that and against more regular-season competition as opposed to expanded rosters.
“We’ll continue to keep our eye on potential acquisitions through the end of the season and we want to see how some of our younger players perform.”