Just Mets

It was August 27, 2013, three days after Matt Harvey’s final start for the following 18 months, when the Mets decided to cut bait on their season.

It was that day the Mets decided to make a deal with the Pirates which would send John Buck and Marlon Byrd to Pittsburgh in exchange for a couple of prospects.

One of those prospects was Vic Black. The other, Dilson Herrera.

Herrera was immediately assigned to Low-A Savannah upon being acquired. After tearing up the South Atlantic, Florida State and Eastern League in late 2013 and for most of 2014, he found himself skipping Triple-A and in the big leagues within a year of being acquired last August when Daniel Murphy was placed on the disabled list.

What he showed here was all of the promise which had been advertised, albeit a little raw. He showed quick hands at the plate, athleticism at second base, raw power and a whole lot of excitement which had been missing on the Mets middle infield since Jose Reyes departed three years earlier.

To nobody’s surprise Herrera was sent to Triple-A for some more seasoning halfway through spring training this past March. He struggled in camp, and with Murphy still here, there was simply no place for Herrera, who was believed to need more seasoning at Triple-A anyway.

That didn’t last long, however.

Herrera was tearing up the Pacific Coast League early, much in the way he waltzed through Single-A and Double-A last year. Within a month of Opening Day, Herrera found himself being rewarded with a call up to not fill in as an injury replacement for Murphy this time, but to serve as a defensive upgrade over Murphy at second base. 

Over his first full week here, Herrera struggled to find his stroke at the plate. Granted, he was facing some extremely tough pitching from the Nationals, but he often looked overmatched even against the Orioles pitching staff through the first game of their series with Baltimore.

But on Wednesday, the promising rookie had his first breakout game at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.

“I’ve seen the kid put up some serious numbers. He can hit, we all know that,” Kevin Plawecki said after Wednesday’s game. “I’m sure it was frustrating for him the first few games up here, but it was great to see him have a breakout game today.”

Herrera’s home run was the first of the season for him, as were his three RBI.

“The more Dilson gets in the batter’s box, the more he’ll have to figure things out by himself and realize his swing is good enough. He doesn’t have to do more, doesn’t have to swing harder,” Terry Collins said after his club’s 5-1 win over Baltimore on Wednesday. “He’s got the power to do big damage.”

“I didn’t have to make a big adjustment,” Herrera explained. “I just let the ball travel more and I felt more comfortable. Being able contribute today made me happy.”

With David Wright possibly returning by the start of the club’s next home stand, which begins next Friday against Milwaukee, the questions could shift away from whether or not Herrera should stay, and more to what the Mets do with Murphy, if Herrera continues to perform.

In talking with people all through the organization, there isn’t anyone who includes Murphy’s name in the discussion over the future of second base for the Mets. Murphy’s contract situation is no secret – he’s making $8.5 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility. With no contract extension in-hand, he will likely become a free agent in six months. With so much buzz in the organization around Herrera, he will likely succeed Murphy at second base next year anyway barring anything unforeseen.

But if Herrera shows over the next week he is in fact ready to be here full-time,  they’d be hard pressed to option him back to Triple-A. Besides, Herrera was mainly brought here to serve as a defensive upgrade over Murphy at second base. So, unless the Mets plan on displacing Wilmer Flores at shortstop, it would seem illogical to revert back to the scenario which had been problematic from day one.

Could that leave Murphy on the outside looking in? If so, is that’s what’s best for winning this year? 

There’s merit to the belief having a veteran like Murphy here and playing everyday is healthy for a team eying postseason play. He’s also a very good hitter best suited for table setting at the top of the batting order. As of late, Murphy has been their most productive hitter, although he started his season in a deep slump.

On the other hand, between the mental and physical mistakes, he’s becoming a major liability in the field. It’s clear the Mets think this as well, otherwise they wouldn’t have brought Herrera here as a defensive upgrade at this stage of the season.

It’s a difficult choice for Sandy Alderson and the Mets, both of which have its pros and cons. A solid argument could be made for both candidates to be starting at second base for different reasons. 

These things have a tendency to work themselves out on their own, but it would come as no surprise if the future of second base arrives sooner rather than later for the Mets.