Mets Shortstop

As Spring Training approaches (pitchers and catchers report in mid-February) LeRoy will begin its preseason analysis of the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and the hated New York Yankees.  We will continue with the shortstops and go on with the New York Mets.

When the Mets traded SS Rey Ordonez to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (which they still were then) and didn't get much back some would have said they had no shortstop.  When they signed IF Rey Sanchez to man the position some would have said they had a shortstop, he just wasn't very good.  But everyone knew that they had a shortstop on the way.  With one minor interruption by IF Kazuo Matsui, that plan has gone accordingly.

1.  Jose Reyes:  Reyes came back from injury last season in a big way.  He had a few hiccups along the way, the most noticeable being a high-thyroid condition which forced him to miss nearly a month at the beginning of the season.  But Reyes still had a great season, batting .282 with 30 stolen bases.  He's in the final year of his contract and could be traded mid season if the Mets aren't playing well.  Until then, the Mets have a stud at shortstop.

2.  Luis Hernandez:  Hernandez is competing for a job as a utility player and is also in the never ending mix of players competing at second base.  He's a natural shortstop so he fits well behind Reyes.  Hernandez has had a good amount of experience as a Major League utility player and was the starting second baseman for the Mets for a time last season.  He did a good job in an extremely limited amount of time last season, hitting .250 and playing second, third, and short.  His defensive versatility has never been questioned, but historically that has been his strong point.  The Mets shouldn't expect him to provide much more than good defense should he win a job on the team.  Right now, though, he's the front runner to be the understudy to Reyes and perhaps 3B David Wright.

3.  Chin-lung Hu:  Hu is a former top prospect with the Los Angeles Dodgers and one of the premier players from Chinese Taipei.  The Mets formerly introduced him last week and hailed him as the first Taiwanese player in Mets history which indicates that his chances of making the team are perhaps better than they appear.  Hu spent 2009 in the Majors as a utility infielder and did terrible, batting .181.  He had a cup of coffee last season and did even worse in that stint, finishing at .130.  However, he batted .317 in the Minors last season.  He's not a natural second baseman but has played there enough to get thrown into the mix in the Spring Training competition.  He'll stick with the organization if he gets cut in Spring Training and could be recalled mid season if a need arises.  He'll be a player to watch this March.

The Mets appear to be strong at shortstop.  Reyes should put together another All-Star caliber season.  Hernandez may not even be on the team but he provides good depth whether he's in New York or Buffalo.  No one really knows what to expect from Hu but he provides depth and is an intriguing player.  Manager Terry Collins has admitted that IF Ruben Tejada will be the everyday shortstop at Buffalo so he may be in the mix as well, although no one has ruled out Tejada winning the second base job in Spring.