Seventh in a series analyzing the New York Mets.
Brodie Van Wagenen’s tenure running the Mets has been mixed, at best, with the notable miss on the trade with Seattle that brought Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to Queens in exchange for top prospects Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn.
But there have been successful moves, as well, and one of the best examples is the acquisition of J.D. Davis in a trade — which didn’t receive much attention at the time, but has paid dividends.
Still, after a solid first season with the Mets, it remains hard to know exactly where Davis fits into the team’s plans, since there’s no ideal position for him defensively.
He played in 79 games in left field and 31 at third base in 2019, but was used almost exclusively in left in the second half of the season. He never got comfortable at either spot and was frequently replaced late in games.
But his bat was better than expected, and Davis remained in the lineup throughout the year.
Before spring training was shut down in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Davis was once again getting work at both spots, and he was working with infield coach Gary DiSarcina.
With an infield consisting of Pete Alonso at first, Robinson Cano at second, Jeff McNeil at third and Amed Rosario at shortstop, it’s easy to see why Davis could be pegged for the outfield.
But when Cano needs time off, which would likely be fairly regularly in an abbreviated season, McNeil could move to second and Davis to third.
As for left field, Davis could compete for time with Dom Smith, who is seen as a slightly better defender.
The other issue is the health of Yoenis Cespedes, who missed over a year rehabbing from surgery on both heels and multiple ankle fractures sustained during an encounter with a wild boar on his ranch.
There was uncertainty about Cespedes’ readiness for the start of the season prior to the league shutting down. The added time off could benefit the veteran slugger, but until he proves he’s able to perform, there will be questions.
“It’s the same situation as last year, where was I going to fit and everything, but it’s a good thing to have so much depth on the team,” Davis said during the spring. “If anything goes south or Cespedes comes back or whatever, then I’m back to whatever helps the team out, I guess. There’s nothing much I can control.”
Davis missed two weeks in spring training after jamming his left shoulder in February, but returned and reported no problems.
Once he was back, he also moved to right field after Michael Conforto went down with an oblique injury that may have impacted his availability for Opening Day if the schedule hadn’t been altered.
But Davis’ offense a year ago has forced the Mets to figure out how to get him into the lineup regularly, even if it’s not for an entire game.
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“I don’t know that you’re ever going to feel comfortable with him out there [in left field] late in big games, but you also don’t want to lose that weapon in your lineup,’’ one NL scout said of Davis, who appeared in just 31 games in the outfield in the minors before playing in just a handful of games there in Houston before joining the Mets.
“He still hasn’t played there much, so he’s not a lost cause in the outfield,’’ the scout said.
Of course, to make the lack of defense worthwhile, Davis also has to show that 2019 was no fluke offensively.
He entered last season with just 181 major league plate appearances, but hit well against both righties and lefties with the Mets and performed well at Citi Field. Davis’ production improved as the season went on. Only McNeil had a higher on-base percentage than Davis’ .369.
After coming up as a third baseman in the Houston organization, where Davis was blocked by Alex Bregman, the 27-year-old has made the most of his time with the Mets — but he still doesn’t have a full-time home.
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Mets still searching for right position in field for J.D. Davis - New York Post
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