2013 IPP: Ruben Tejada

[Vic Sage]

Fangraphs weighs in on Tejada:
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/2013-positional-power-rankings-shortstop/

Ranking our SS position at 22nd, they say: "Young shortstop, contact, limited power, defensive adequacy... Last season Tejada doubled his career home-run total, by hitting one. He had some injury problems but it remains to be seen whether he�ll be fragile or not down the road. He is patient, so he has the ability to draw a walk, but pitchers don�t have many reasons to walk him. Tejada�s a startable player who�s also an upgrade-able player."

Which is pretty much what i've been saying here. Not that their view is definitive, of course, but independent verification is always appreciated.

[MFS62]

dinosaur jesus wrote: I like Ruben, though, and I see him continuing to progress: getting a little more patient, adding a little power. Just a little. I'll call a bit of a breakthrough this year: .294, .365, .380, with 30 doubles and 2 home runs.

This.

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

Andy Martino, Daily News wrote: NY Mets not sold on Ruben Tejada Ruben Tejada is a talented and precocious young player, well-liked by teammates, but the Mets are not yet convinced he is the shortstop of the future. As the most recent evidence of this, the idea of sending Tejada to Triple-A and making Omar Quintanilla the Opening Day shortstop has been floated in staff meetings this spring, according to team insiders. �It was discussed a few times, but I highly doubt it will happen,� said one source. Still, many in the organization are very concerned about Tejada�s .080 spring batting average. Whether Tejada remains with the Mets all season, or ends up spending time in Las Vegas, the discussions are evidence of his current standing with the team. They also follow the Mets� offseason willingness to move Tejada in the right deal. As John Harper reported earlier this spring, the Mets tried to include Tejada and/or Daniel Murphy in a deal for Arizona outfielder Justin Upton, who ultimately went to Atlanta. Many scouts still like Tejada, praising him for his two-strike hitting and overall baseball IQ, and one Mets person who has known the shortstop for several years called him �a great kid.� A rival evaluator said, �He�s a good player, but I feel like he has gone backward a little bit.� It appears that Tejada will keep his job for now, but it has become clear over the past few months that the Mets are not yet sold on him as the long-term solution.

[Edgy MD]

A slashity slash line of .080 / .193 / .160 // .353 during spring training will make folks reconsider your future fast.

Hey! Dave Hudgens! Fix this!

[batmagadanleadoff]

I see Tejada as a placeholder. But not a bad shortstop. He's not the Mets worst problem, and besides, where the hell are the Mets going in the near future, anyways when Marlon Byrd is a middle-of-the-order hitter slated for, perhaps, hundreds of PA's?

[Edgy MD]

Gotta be something we don't know about Ruben, right? Somewhere among the dreadful spring, the brief period when the Mets were reportedly considering farming him out to start the season, and the head-seemingly-not-in-the game start he's having to this season, is the answer.

What's going on, Ruben?

[ashie62]

I hope he is not troubled by something that may be going on at home in Panama...

[Edgy MD]

He made a slick game-ending play just after I submitted that question, so I can only conclude that I motivated him, somehow.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Was over at some Metly in-laws (in Phillie country, no less) for most of the day. Brother-in-law insisted after the second error that Terry should bench him tomorrow, no questions asked/answered. I protested-- mostly over the fact that the errors weren't effort-related/approach-related (and the who-plays-short-then issue) but then he asked, "Well, then what do you do?" I had nothing.

[Edgy MD]

Well that's the added challenge of the situation. He might certainly have been farmed out if the team wasn't starved for options. Valdespin has plenty of experience but has established himself as erratic at the position. Turner has nice footwork around second and a decent stick but has very little horizontal range or much of an arm. Quintanilla is a defensible backup, but has little with regard to a future.

Flores is reported to have Turner-like range. Havens is probably a little more stable, but not so good that he'd be anything less than a disaster if his bat doesn't turn it around. Brandon Hicks is huffing DL fumes, Adams isn't activated, and Bixler is riding AAA pine. Not much better in terms of options at Bingo or St. Lucie either. The plan is for him to hold down the fort there, and any decision they make is going to be with the long term in mind.

[Centerfield]

He doesn't get on base, he doesn't hit for power, he doesn't run fast (and therefore can't steal bases). He doesn't have a strong arm, and this year, he can't even catch the ball. I'm not sure what more we hope to get out of this guy.

Valdespin? Turner? Quintanilla? Didn't Alderson draft a SS a few years ago?

I can't believe this is the only option we have.

[metirish]

He's gotten lazy or something, gotten shit?

I wold rather see Quintanilla playing right now, he's not letting that ball pass by him for sure.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Yeah, I'd like to see the team punish Tejada with 2 weeks in Vegas, but apparently there's concern about a lack of organizational SS depth that might make sending Q back down afterward problematic.

[Ceetar]

Centerfield wrote: He doesn't get on base, he doesn't hit for power, he doesn't run fast (and therefore can't steal bases). He doesn't have a strong arm, and this year, he can't even catch the ball. I'm not sure what more we hope to get out of this guy. Valdespin? Turner? Quintanilla? Didn't Alderson draft a SS a few years ago? I can't believe this is the only option we have.

Interesting how he's seemingly getting worse every year. the .280/.330/.350 version of Tejada isn't great, but it's average and that's something for a shortstop if he's playing the averagish defense he's capable of..but I dunno what to make of him.

Of course, he's still the youngest player on the team (Only Familia younger this year). I don't want to see Quintanilla up here, but I wish we had a Ronny Cedeno type (or hell, play Turner occasionally) to spell him/sit him down.

[Edgy MD]

Turner is a non-option at shortstop, I think. His grace is that he may have more range than Murphy --- which is to say, not much of a grace.

Mets have drafted many shortstops, but you're probably thinking of Gavin Cecchini, who hasn't graduated from short-season ball yet.

He's struggling and I'm all on board with calling up Q, but it's important to distinguish what he isn't doing from what he can't do.

[metirish]

You don't want Quintanilla but would take Cedeno? , for a short spell what's the difference?

[Ceetar]

metirish wrote: You don't want Quintanilla but would take Cedeno? , for a short spell what's the difference?

Cedeno's actually good, and seemed to perhaps take a step forward last year? Doing well with the Astros too.

[Vic Sage]

first of all, Cedeno isn't "good", he's simply a more established major league hitter than Omar, but neither of them are "good" in any objective sense of the word. Omar, however, seems to me a much better glove at SS than Cedeno. But that's all irrelevant since Omar is here and Cedeno isn't. The question is who is best for the Mets to play at SS now?

I have no faith in Tejada, and never have. And if he's not even a reliable glove anymore, he's pointless. Let him go to AAA and rediscover his stroke (such as it is) and show some hustle and passion for the game. In the meantime, i'm sure Omar can hit the same .210, but be more consistent with the glove and play with a little more fire. If Ruben earns a promotion, you can always cut omar without losing a night's sleep.

[Ceetar]

Vic Sage wrote: first of all, Cedeno isn't "good", he's simply a more established major league hitter than Omar, but neither of them are "good" in any objective sense of the word. Omar, however, seems to me a much better glove at SS than Cedeno. But that's all irrelevant since Omar is here and Cedeno isn't. The question is who is best for the Mets to play at SS now? I have no faith in Tejada, and never have. And if he's not even a reliable glove anymore, he's pointless. Let him go to AAA and rediscover his stroke (such as it is) and show some hustle and passion for the game. In the meantime, i'm sure Omar can hit the same .210, but be more consistent with the glove and play with a little more fire. If Ruben earns a promotion, you can always cut omar without losing a night's sleep.

well, Cedeno is good, Much much much better than Q but I was on a tangent.

The question isn't could Omar have hit better than .210 so far, it's if he'll outhit Ruben going forward. Do you believe in Ruben Tejada as slumping (same goes for Ike probably although at least there are actual hitters you could play there) with likely to play better at any moment, or do you think any success he has was figured out and he's done now?

As people so much like to say, 2013 is a lost cause right? So why would you ever play a journeyman/Quad-A player over a 23 year old that's had some success at the position before? There is roughly 0 chance Quintanilla or even Turner is the SS of the future, and however low you think Tejada's chances are, they're certainly not nil.

He would be the 6th youngest player on the 51s. You just don't write off a player that young.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Don't make this too complicated.

Ruben goes down to Vegas only until he proves he deserves to be back up.

[Benjamin Grimm]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Don't make this too complicated. Ruben goes down to Vegas only until he proves he deserves to be back up.

Yeah, it really is that simple.

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Don't make this too complicated. Ruben goes down to Vegas only until he proves he deserves to be back up. Yeah, it really is that simple.

nothing is ever simple.

[Edgy MD]

Things That Are Generally Simple

1. Tic-Tac-Toe.
   
2. Heyman's writing.
   
3. The rules of Concentration.
   
4. The minds of Jim Kerr and his fellow bandmates.
   
5. The TV Guide crossword puzzle.
   
6. Basic single-digit arithmetic.
   
7. Taking your finger out of your nose when a girl is looking.
   
8. The decision to select Richard Dawson for the bonus round on Match Game.
   
9. Acknowledging the supremacy of the Beatles.
   
10. Life being either cherry red or midnight blue.

[Ceetar]

Suzyn Waldman? No?

[Guest vtmet]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Ruben goes down to Vegas only until he proves he deserves to be a back-up.

I think that Ruben has already proven that he's a "back up"...or a platoon player...simply not a starting shortstop on a decent MLB team...

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Does this make things simpler, or...

DEVELOPING: In the bottom of the 4th inning, Omar Quintanilla has been removed from the game in Las Vegas. #Mets

OE: AND there's your Rubin confirmation. Taxi squad, just in case? If more than that-- whether via DL or demotion for young Rube-- who comes off the 40?

[Ceetar]

Frank Francisco to the 60-day? We haven't heard about him recently have we? We're approaching 60 days at this point anyway.

Otherwise try to squeak Gonzalez Germen through? Familia to 60 day? Actison?

Rick Ankiel? He's pretty useless. It wouldn't really be out of place since the Mets have 6 outfielders..

[Zvon]

He led off with an important single and then thought, YES, they wont send me down now. Then he stuck his head back up his ass. In around the 8th he realized he didn't do enough to save himself and started to worry about how he was gonna break the news to his mom about being demoted. In the 9th he saw his out and will call his mom tomorrow and tell her he didn't get demoted. He got injured.

meeeeeh, 65% serious post.

[Edgy MD]

Things That Are Generally Simple

...
11. Calling up Quintanilla

There must be 50 ways to change your shortstop.

[Ceetar]

• ...
  11. Calling up Quintanilla

There must be 50 ways to change your shortstop.

Things That Are Generally Simple

Well yeah, his .220/.279/.302 career line fits right in with what Ruben was doing.