Marlon Byrd arrived in Port St. Lucie this morning, and Manager Terry Collins said that Byrd has a good chance to win an outfield spot outright and not in a platoon situation.
"You're talking about a guy who's in this camp, who has a chance to make a huge difference - besides Lucas Duda - it might be Marlon Byrd," Collins said. "This guy was one of the best players in the National League not very long ago. If he is the same player he was in Chicago a couple of years ago, we might have found ourselves our right fielder."
Byrd hit .210 in 47 games with the Cubs and Red Sox in 2012, but made the National League All-Star team as a member of the Cubs in 2010.
The only way that I'd give Byrd the starting job is if he has an incredible Spring Training. The Mets are starting a youth movement and Byrd is clearly not part of the future, so he has to look really good before I give him 500-600 at-bats. I'm not sure what to expect from Byrd, but I am still glad that they brought him along. If he finds a way to hit once again, he'll be an ideal bench piece to have, and for practically nothing in terms of money.
I am actually okay with the idea of using a Zack Lutz or Jordany Valdespin in right field. We have all heard about how good of a hitter Lutz is supposed to be, but injuries have seriously held him back. It is also worth mentioning that he was stuck behind David Wright on the depth chart, so he is going to need to move to the outfield in order to find some playing time. Valdespin would be a decent option but his defense may be somewhat shaky. He isn't an outfielder by trade (neither is Lutz), but I am curious to see what he can do over a full season.
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