Opinion: Corner Outfield Concerns
After the Mets’ loss against the Marlins on July 28 - a game in which Fernando Tatis went 2-for-4 with a triple and 2 RBI - Mets manager Jerry Manuel publicly announced that Tatis would be the starting left fielder, saying:
“He right now is our leftfielder. There is no question about it.”
Since that proclamation, however, Tatis has started only one game in left field. Instead, he’s started in right field, while left has been manned by a group including Marlon Anderson, Nick Evans, Endy Chavez, and most recently Daniel Murphy.
OK, no big deal - the key has been Tatis in the starting lineup.
Rather, the big deal is that Tatis is only 5-for-21 (.238) with one RBI, one run scored, and no extra-base hits since being named a regular. This is a far cry from the July numbers (.397 AVG, .463 OBP, .767 SLG) that earned him a starting role.
Granted, Tatis does have a 10-game hitting streak going, so perhaps this recent stretch is a simple hiccup.
If not, the corner outfield positions are a concern – particularly since Ryan Church’s return has hit another snag. The Mets are counting on the suddenly struggling Tatis and the unproven platoon of Evans and Murphy to fill what are traditionally ‘offensive’ positions. If these three don’t provide significant offense, their inexperience in the outfield becomes detrimentally counter-productive.
Strangely, the Mets are looking at Rich Aurilia (as linked to by Cerrone earlier today), who has zero experience in the outfield. He’s a nice hitter, but will he hit enough to make up for his glovework? Not likely.
The Mets may have a short leash on the Evans and Murphy experiment, hoping one or both can blossom while Omar Minaya watches the waiver wire for a legitimate outfielder with a power bat. For example, Aubrey Huff might be a nice addition, but at what cost? The Mets have too many ‘untouchables’ in the high minors and can’t afford to deal any of their MLB-ready arms considering the state of the pitching staff. One would hope that if Evans continues to struggle, Val Pascucci will at least get a look.
After the trading deadline passed, Minaya claimed that trading a few of the Mets prospects wasn’t worth a ‘rental” playe’ – a bold statement for a team desperate. I’m not sure I agree, considering that a few of the ‘rentals’ that changed teams would have turned into draft picks in the offseason (as Type “A” or Type “B” free agents), while the other ‘rentals’ would not have cost the Mets their elite prospects.
But there’s still time for one of these prospects to show us why they weren’t dealt, and for Minaya to swing a waiver deal. Let’s hope that two months from now, Minaya’s non-moves prior to the deadline make him look like a genius.
