den Dekker's role with the Mets

The Mets recently promoted outfielder Matt den Dekker to the Major Leagues. The 26 year old is expected to share time with Juan Lagares in center and right field for the remainder of the season. But does he have a long-term role with this organization?

den Dekker was drafted by the Mets in the 5th round of the 2010 draft. He quickly rose through the farm system, mostly because of his solid defense. In 2012, he hit a combined .274 with 17 home runs and 21 stolen bases in Double-A and Triple-A. As a 25 year old at the time, den Dekker's long-term future with the team as beginning to fade away. He came into the 2013 season with a legitimate shot at making the Opening Day roster. He had a strong Spring Training, but unfortunately broke his wrist during an exhibition game. The injury kept him out of baseball activities until the middle of May.

With the 51s, den Dekker hit .296 with 6 home runs and 38 RBI in 58 games. He also sported a .366 on-base percentage.

The Mets recently promoted him due to the loss of Marlon Byrd, who was dealt to the Pirates. den Dekker has every chance to prove himself for the rest of this season, despite competing against the fan-favorite Juan Lagares. 

Apparently, according to scouts and people throughout the organization, den Dekker's defense outshines Lagares'. That seems hard to believe, considering Lagares' incredible plays day after day this season. 

At the end of the day, it won't be den Dekker's defense that holds him back, it will be his offensive presence, or lack thereof. He had a major strikeout problem in the minor leagues, and will need to fix that if he wants to become a long-term piece for the Mets.

Even if he does change that, I don't know if he'll necessarily be a starter with this team going forward. Lagares has certainly earned the spot as the team's primary center-fielder, and it is likely that over the winter Sandy Alderson will need to acquire one, if not two corner outfielders that can supply a steady power supply. den Dekker's skills are intriguing, but at this point, I don't know if he'll ever be more than a solid 4th outfielder.