EXPECTATIONS FOR 18: Matthew den Dekker

[Edgy MD]

I used to be a Met. But now? Now I'm a Met! Again!

I can't explain it, but that's how it works sometimes. Five years back I was going to break camp as a ballhawk par excellence. "Would instantly be the best defensive outfielder in the division," somebody said. I dunno. Somebody. But I got hurt, and Lagares stepped up and became the ball-catching guy.

Me, I futzed around for two partial seasons before becoming Jerry Blevins trade bait. Don't get me wrong. That's a thing that's worth being. But once you go slipping a notch or two down on a depth chart, it becomes harder to climb back up. Not with all the younger guys trying to climb right past you. With Washington ... Detroit ... Miami ... . I just got caught in depth chart hell, damn it.

But now I'm a Met again. The Three Little d's are reunited. And while I'm no lock to make the roster, I'm getting as much PT as anybody. That's got to mean an avenue is opening up for me in 2018, right? Right?

But sometimes when you've been through what I've been through, the little d stands for doubt. It's a savage thing. But it's 2018, and say what you will about me, but Ryan Howard has 382 homers, tied with Frank Howard for 67th all time, one behind Larry Walker. The reason he's not tied with Walker? Me. Me and my nimble little hands. That's what I take with me when I head out there. How's it all going to play out.

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[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Vegas center fielder.

Will come up in September for a few ABs, and maybe more if we make the Cabrera-Lagares-for-Panik-prospect deal in 2 weeks.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I don't really see anything 2018ish for den D, not really sure why he's back.

[Edgy MD]

The team still has a ton of infield depth, but very little in the way of outfield depth. And none of the guys who were at the top of the system were really centerfielders.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Doesn't change my EXPECTATIONS FOR 18. They are just predictions, we can
grade them next November.