The New York Mets are still scrambling to fill a couple of outfield slots, and prospect Carson Benge is a big part of their plans in center field. But Benge is still working his way up the ladder in the minor leagues, so what happens if he’s not ready to appear at Citi Field?
Tim Boyle of Rising Apple tackled this question a couple of days ago, and his take illustrated just how confusing it could be to answer this important question.
What will the Mets add?
The Mets have needed a left fielder since they traded outfielder Brandon Nimmo, but their last move was adding an alleged third baseman, infielder Bo Bichette, in free agency. Given that outfielder Cody Bellinger wants a long-term deal, a trade would seem to be the most likely way to fill these gaps.
The positional part is still up in the air, however, especially with owner Steve Cohen now integrally involved in the selection process. Cohen loves to spend money and be in the limelight, so the Mets could add one outfielder, two or ignore the positional gaps completely and opt to sign an expensive free-agent starter like Framber Valdez.
How should the Mets handle the rest of Benge’s development?
According to Boyle, it would be ill-advised to block Benge by getting a pair of major leaguers. He could probably use some more time at Triple A, but given how fast he’s risen through the Mets’ minor league, the Mets probably want to see him on the field in New York sooner rather than later.
Who fills the gaps if Benge starts the season at Triple A?
The Mets have a couple of options to answer this question, but they aren’t great ones. Mets fans probably don’t want to see outfielder Tyrone Taylor in center or left for an extended period of time, but he could be a solid placeholder for the first month or two of the season.
Beyond that, there are still outfield options like Luis Robert Jr. or Byron Buxton that Boyle mentions, and outfielder Austin Hays is another option. All of these player are stopgaps, but this is where the Mets are at this point.
How involved will Cohen be going forward?
This it the key question. GM David Stearns obviously had a step-by-step plan that’s now completely up in the air, and no one knows what the erratic owner will do if he continues to disrupt the process that was apparently in place going into last week.