Ranking 3 minor leaguers that can take Joey Wendle's roster spot
While there have been many gripes among New York Mets fans about certain aspects of the team this season, one common denominator among the fanbase has been a large group of fans calling for Joey Wendle’s replacement. While Wendle hasn’t been a major problem for the team and he had himself a nice night at the plate last night, some costly mistakes defensively, as well as not producing as much as hoped off the bench offensively, has placed him firmly on the hot seat for Mets fans.
The Mets do have some suitable replacements in the minor leagues that could potentially take Wendle’s roster spot should the front office decide to move in another direction with his spot off of the bench. I wanted to take a look at three potential candidates in the order of least likely to most likely, in terms of players that could make the most sense should David Stearns decide to poach a utility player from Triple-A Syracuse.
3) Luisangel Acuna
If the front office really wanted to make a splash and shake up the roster, the Mets could bring up their much-heralded prospect in Luisangel Acuna. Acuna has experience playing all around the infield and he could provide fans with an earlier-than-expected glimpse of the future in Queens.
Many fans and members of the front office alike view Acuna as the Mets’ second baseman of the future. After an impressive showing in Spring Training, fans have been keeping an eye on his nightly box score numbers down in Syracuse, especially with Acuna being considered the face of the new wave of talent coming through the pipeline over the next several years.
However, this option seems like the least likely of the three options, as Acuna has not put up strong numbers offensively to this point in the season down in Syracuse. At only 22 years old he still has plenty of time to figure it out, but right now the timing may not be right for a potential call-up. It’s also important for Acuna to get as many at-bats as possible down in Syracuse to continue his development, as there is no direct shot to consistent playing time on the Mets roster currently.
2) Rylan Bannon
Another potentially intriguing option down in Syracuse that could make sense for the Mets, should they decide to move on from Joey Wendle, is infielder Rylan Bannon. Bannon has some intriguing offensive numbers at this point in the season down in Triple-A as he has put up 6 home runs, with 16 RBIs to go along with a .250 AVG with an OPS of .915 in 84 at-bats.
While Bannon isn’t considered a prospect at this point in his career at the age of 28 years old, he has produced decent offensive numbers throughout his minor-league career. Bannon could present himself as this year’s potential low-risk, high-reward type of player the Mets could give a shot at the Major League level.
Defensively Bannon can play all around the infield, which is going to be a requisite for anybody the front office decides to replace Wendle with on the MLB roster. The downside of this move would be the lack of Major League experience as Bannon only has 20 career at-bats. However, a player such as Bannon, who seems to have a little extra pop in his bat, could make for a nice flyer for the front office to take a gamble on.
1) Jose Iglesias
The most likely option of the three is infielder Jose Iglesias, who in my opinion should’ve won the job outright in Spring Training. The 34-year-old Igelsias is a proven Major League talent and is widely known as a defensive wizard, and it could be argued he is the best defensive shortstop in baseball that is not currently in the Major Leagues.
Iglesias is currently getting it done with the bat offensively in Syracuse as he currently holds a .294 batting average with 5 home runs and 15 RBIs to go along with an .835 OPS. What is a bit eye-popping about his offensive numbers is the 5 home runs, as Iglesias has not routinely displayed any sort of consistent power during his MLB career.
The Mets could use a player with Iglesias range defensively in the infield and he could be seen as an upgrade over their current situation with Joey Wendle on the bench from both an offensive and a defensive standpoint. It makes Iglesias the most realistic option of the three potential choices the Mets front office has.
The Mets certainly have a few intriguing options should they ultimately decide to part with Wendle at some point in the near future, from their star top prospect to a former Major League All-Star.
This article was originally published on risingapple.com as Ranking 3 minor leaguers that can take Joey Wendle’s roster spot.