Report: Mets Still Not Happy with Ruben Tejada
The Mets are reportedly still not happy with Ruben Tejada despite his attendance at an off-season conditioning camp that was supposed to solve all of his problems.
“He looks pretty much the same,’’ a Mets source told the New York Post.
Tejada reported for camp last year clearly overweight, a reflection of his sluggish play all season long. By all accounts he has slimmed down, but not enough for the Mets, apparently.
This has all the makings of the Mets usual practice of badmouthing a player on his way out the door. Don’t think for a second that Sandy Alderson did not send this “source” directly to Post reporter Kevin Kernan, if Alderson is not the source himself.
So who might take over shortstop? Well, there is that Stephen Drew character, of whom the source said, “I would not be surprised if we signed Drew, but at the same time, I don’t expect it to happen.’’ That sounds like classic Alderson double-talk.
The Nick Franklin thing actually looks real. The Mets apparently spoke to the Mariners in the off-season about him and could talk again. It is just a matter of how much the Mariners want for him and how much the Mets would give up.
The wild card is Wilmer Flores. He has been taking grounders at shortstop early in Spring Training, despite the Mets insistence that they do not see him as a viable alternative because of his lousy fielding. But if he improves to the point where he is at least not an embarrassment out there, Flores could be the answer.
Whatever happens, it is looking like it would be quite a surprise if Ruben Tejada is standing at shortstop on Opening Day.
OMG! A Flores-Murphy double play combo????