Center field may be up for grabs.. Recently acquired outfielder Andres Toress will likely start off the season playing the position every day, but after that, it will likely go to a younger player.
When the Mets traded for Andres Torres in December, they knew they were bringing in a weak bat. Personally, I think the bigger piece in the trade was Ramon Ramirez. Last season in San Francisco, Torres had a .221/.312/.330 slash line. He was highly touted for his speed, but again, he only stole 19 bases in 112 games, so it’s not like he was a major force on the basepaths. At 34, it seems his best years just might be behind him.
There are two real emerging candidates for player who will steal the job from Torres, assuming he plays the way many think he will. Those two players are Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Matt Den Dekker.
Nieuwenhuis, 24, had a great season between Buffalo and Binghamton in 2010, hitting 18 home runs and driving in 77. Last year, his season was cut short by injury, but he seemed to be on his way to a quality season, hitting .298 in just over 50 games. Nieuwenhuis is highly regarded as a top Mets prospect, coming in at eighth on my list, and fourth on many others. He is considered a five-tool player who can do just about anything. He is likely to make his big league debut halfway through the season, no matter how well Torres is playing.
Den Dekker, 24, is a little bit further away from the major league roster than Nieuwenhuis.
Other Previews:
2012 Season Preview: Left Field
2012 Season Preview: Shortstop
Come back next Saturday when I preview the right field position!
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