Opinion: The Final Bench Spot
In a report for RotoWorld, the great Matthew Pouliot takes a look at how players are performing in winter ball leagues.
By the way, as Pouliot points out, Mets 2B Ruben Gotay is hitting just .197 through 61 at-bats in the Venezuelan Winter League.
Last season, in 190 at-bats for the Mets, Gotay hit .295, including a .318 average against right-handed pitchers.
…the kid can hit…that’s clear…his defense, though, is spotty, which is why he’ll always struggle to lock down a starting job - be it with the Mets or elsewhere…that said, the kid can hit…
…as of now, depending on how many people they carry in the bullpen, the Mets bench will at least include Damion Easley, Marlon Anderson, Endy Chavez and Ramon Castro…easley and anderson can play both infield and outfield…the final bench spot is going to be tricky…
…on one hand, i feel the Mets need a bat in the outfield who can hit left-handed pitching…on other hand, a versatile, well-rounded, jack-of-all-trades infielder may be necessary, as well…sort of like an endy on the infield…i’d like to think gotay can fill this role, since he played a bit of third and shortstop last season…i believe the Mets once hoped this spot 
could be filled by Anderson Hernandez, but i feel that ship has sailed…in some ways, gotay is closer to what this team had planned for hernandez than what hernandez actually is today…
…Morgan Ensberg recently hit the free-agent market, after having been non-tendered by the Astros…he has played first and third, but can no longer hit…additionally, Aaron Miles is a free agent, as well…
In five major-league seasons, Miles, 31, has played second base, short, third and left field, while pitching two innings, with a career .283 average in 509 games.
Last season, Miles hit .286 against righties and .292 against lefties, while hitting exactly .290 before and after the All-Star break.
What’s more, he hit .345 against the Phillies last season; .368 in 19 at-bats as a pinch hitter; and .313 in 96 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
…knowing the Mets will certainly pursue a veteran or two to try out during spring training, like David Newhan last season, i might consider signing miles - assuming he is interested in this sort of role - making him a Miguel Cairo-type, who Willie Randolph seemed to utilize a lot during his first season at Shea…the thing is, miles will certainly require a major-league contract, meaning the Mets will have five guaranteed bench spots on the roster, no questions asked, a) leaving no room for gotay, and b) leaving little wiggle room during the first half of the season…plus, i’m not so sure he is any better on defense than gotay…
…nevertheless, this season’s edition of musical chairs for second base has ended, leaving David Eckstein to sign a one-year, $4 million contract to potentially split time in toronto…so, that being the case, miles should expect a contract of lesser value, suggesting he could be a potential candidate for the type of role i have outlined…
…in other words, assuming he requires a guaranteed contract, and if the Mets decide they need an additional infielder and they value versatility, and are comfortable locking up a final roster spot, then i like miles…if, however, they prefer to keep the roster a bit flexible, and are comfortable with easley and marlon on the infield from time to time, then they should roll with with gotay…
