Future SS for the Mets

After Jose Reyes left via free agency after the 2011 season, Ruben Tejada was set to become his long-term replacement. Of-course, Tejada was not expected to become a player similar to Reyes, who hit .292 with 370 stolen bases in 8 seasons with New York. Tejada was supposed to a solid defender, and a work-in progress up at the plate. He showed promise in 2012, hitting .289 in 114 games with the Mets.

Coming into 2013, 23 year old Ruben Tejada was poised to keep his everyday shortstop job. He appeared to put on some muscle during the winter, and looked like he was ready to have a good season. However, he struggled offensively and defensively. In 50 games for the Mets, he hit .209 with a .267 on-base percentage. In 48 games at shortstop, Tejada has made 8 errors already, which gives him a .966 fielding percentage. Tejada injured himself in May, and only recently started playing games. After his rehab assignment, the team assigned him to Triple-A Las Vegas, where he has struggled, hitting .189 in 10 games.

I'm not ready to give up on Ruben Tejada just yet, but it is very hard to ignore what Omar Quintanilla, Tejada's replacement, has done over the last month and a half. Quintanilla was originally slated to be the team's backup middle infielder, but after the injury to Tejada, he was immediately called up to replace him. Since then, he has hit .246 in 37 games with New York. His offensive numbers do not sparkle, but defensively he has been outstanding. In 37 games at shortstop, he has made only three errors, which is good for a .980 fielding percentage. The league average fielding percentage is .976, so Quintanilla has been slightly above average.

At this point, as the Mets look to rebuild, Quintanilla is not the long-term answer at shortstop. Ruben Tejada may not be either, but at 23 years of age he has a good chance to develop into something special. I do like what the Mets are doing with Tejada right now -- letting him work his way back offensively down in Triple-A.

Quintanilla may not be a starter for this team long-term, but he has definitely earned himself a spot on the 25 man roster in 2014. I like what he brings to the table defensively, and is basically the definition of a solid backup middle infielder.

If you're looking really long term, you can take a look at someone like Wilfredo Tovar, who at 5'10" 160 lbs  and 21 years of age, may need to continue to physically grow before being considered for a promotion to the Majors. Tovar is currently hitting .240 in 85 games for Double-A Binghampton this season.

You could also look at Gavin Cecchini, who at 19 years old is in Single-A with the Brooklyn Cyclones. As a first round pick, Cecchini will clearly be watched over very closely by the organization as he works his way up the system. He is currently hitting .259 in 15 games with the Cyclones this season.

The Mets will need to answer this problem sooner or later. Quintanilla is not going to be the long-term shortstop for this team, and they will need to find out what they have in Ruben Tejada. Of-course, if Tejada does not pan out, they could look for shortstops via free agency. The 2014 free agent class doesn't feature too many top players. The only one who would represent a clear upgrade over Tejada would be Stephen Drew. The 2015 free agent class consists of much more talented players. The Mets could choose from the likes of Asdrubal Cabrera, Jed Lowrie, Hanley Ramirez, and J.J. Hardy. At that point, hopefully the Mets are one player or two away from contention, and the final piece to the puzzle would be adding a solid shortstop.