Mets Shortstops

The Mets are in the second year of their rebuilding phase.  They are proceeding with an eclectic mix of players that includes returning Mets, young players and prospects, and free agent signees.  One area where a youth movement is taking place is shortstop.

1.  Ruben Tejada:  The Mets are counting on Tejada to complete the considerable task of replacing the departed SS Jose Reyes.  Tejada is still a young player and he has never really been a can't-miss prospect, and there are still a lot of questions about him at the Major League level.  Tejada looked decent in his time in the Majors last season, batting .284 in a limited 328 at-bats. 

2.  Ronny Cedeno:  Cedeno was signed to replace SS Chin-lung Hu as the utility player for the Mets.  The role was vacant for most of last season, as Hu was demoted early and never returned and was essentially never replaced.  Cedeno was also brought in as an insurance policy in case Tejada falters as the team's starting shortstop.  LeRoy predicts that Cedeno will be starting at short by May.  He batted .249 last season with Pittsburgh.

3.  Jordany Valdespin:  Valdespin is a player coming up through the Mets system who they protected from the Rule V Draft by placing on the 40-man roster.  Valdespin was converted to shortstop last season and had a good season at the plate, batting .294 with 37 stolen bases in 511 Minor League at-bats.  There is some opportunity at both short and second (Valdespin's original position), but he's not likely to win either job as he needs almost a full season at Buffalo, but he'll almost surely be recalled in September.

4.  Wilmer Flores:  Flores is a top prospect who the Mets are taking a look at in Spring Training.  He batted .269 in 516 at-bats last year at St. Lucie and had a bad year in the field.  Flores has never played second base and he probably doesn't have much of a chance of winning the somewhat open shortstop competition, but that's not really a concern.  Flores needs at least two more years in the Minors before he'll be ready to tackle Major League duty.

5.  Omar Quintanilla:  Quintanilla is a veteran player who the Mets have signed to a Minor League contract and invited to Spring Training.  A former top prospect with Oakland and Colorado, Quintanilla hasn't had much success at the professional level.  Last season he batted .045 in 22 at-bats with Texas.  Quintanilla will be looked at and will probably last in Spring Training longer than Valdespin and Flores, but he's really only been brought in for the purposes of depth.

The Mets don't look good at shortstop.  Tejada is a decent-looking young player who might be worth a shot at shortstop in 2012, but he hasn't proven anything at the big league level yet and he was never a standout offensive player in the Minors, although his fielding is superb.  Cedeno is a veteran player capable of being a sub-par starting shortstop on a bad or rebuilding team and he'll probably fill that role with the Mets, but his presence here is more of a negative than a positive.  Valdespin is a player coming up through their system who the Mets like, but he needs most of a year in the Minors before he's ready and there's no reason to believe he'll ever be more than anything but a decent player in the Majors.  Flores is a top prospect but he's two years away from being ready.  Quintanilla is a decent player to have in place for depth and will probably get some time in the Majors this year, but that's it.