With the injuries and losses mounting for the NY Mets one must wonder when they will pull the trigger on the two-headed prospect monster of Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith. As the news of Asdrubal Cabrera’s torn ligament in his finger sinks in with Mets fans the time appears ripe for Rosario to make his way to Flushing and a case can be made for Smith as well.
If the Mets are going to be rolling out a lineup that includes a few band-aids, then why not start the future now, or at least get a glimpse of it? Rosario is currently hitting .359 has an OBP of .401, SLG% of .493, OPS of .894 with 11 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 10 BB and 7 SB. Smith is hitting .324 has an OBP of .379, SLG% .486, OPS of .865 with 10 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR and 23 RBI. Neither one of them having anything left to prove in AAA.
There does not seem to be any downside to bringing them up now except for the looming Super 2 deadline that will save some money. I understand the financial side of things however the Mets need an influx of talent before the 2017 season is too far gone to recover. With the struggles of Jose Reyes and Neil Walker (until the last 2 weeks) Rosario should, at his basement, produce similar numbers immediately. Even with Lucas Duda and Wilmer Flores coming back from injury the time for Smith should be now as well. The only way defense affects a player’s fantasy value is in playing time and this could be a perfect example. Based on his defense alone, Smith would be a helpful addition to the Mets. This is by no means a dig at T.J. Rivera, who certainly has done a great job filling in. However, Smith’s upside is considerably higher and Rivera becomes less valuable if he is playing every day.
The Mets are in Arizona which is a fantastic hitters park and just so happens to be close to the Mets AAA home in Las Vegas. Bring them up, let them get their feet wet in a great park, then bring them home. If they succeed, they stay for the duration. If they prove to need more seasoning they can always be sent down when everyone gets healthy. This team needs some excitement!
The baseball season is a long way with many ebbs and flows. After this past weekend’s sweep at the hands of the Brewers the Mets are at their first crossroad of many during the season. They have the prospects to help right the ship. I can say one thing about the MLB club, they have heart! Even while dealing with countless injuries and a few off the field distractions they are still hovering around .500. The season is by no means lost however there needs to be some changes made ASAP, none of which should include trading high level prospects for pitching help. I do feel that once Rosario and Smith are in the lineup that they will be able to be penciled into your fantasy lineups daily for many years to come.
Be sure to be on the lookout for a follow-up article identifying what other prospects could/should be headed to Citi Field to give a helping hand!
Article featured image of Amed Rosario – courtesy nypost.com/Anthony J. Causi
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Michael Hivryhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/mets001/
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Michael Hivryhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/mets001/
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Michael Hivryhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/mets001/
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Michael Hivryhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/mets001/
I believe the Mets are maxed out on the 40-man roster.
Who do you think the Mets should remove in order to clear room for Smith?
Hi Brian,
Great question.
In my mind there is a simple solution to creating roster spots. If they would move Matz, Nimmo or Lugo to the 60 day DL they would open up a spot for Smith. Each of them, by the time they come back, will have been on the DL for more than 60 days.
This would buy some time short term however once Matz or Lugo do return (hopefully next month) there would have to be a decision made on Tommy Milone.