The Mets are likely to get their Opening Day third baseman back soon – but will they still make a move at the deadline to acquire someone for the hot corner?
"I think we can get production out of third base with some of the guys that we have, but always have to be open-minded to other opportunities to improve," Mets GM Zack Scott told reporters on Monday afternoon.
J.D. Davis, who was slated to be full-time starter at third, has hit .390 this year, but played just 14 games around a pair of injuries. He is currently rehabbing at Triple-A Syracuse, and while Jonathan Villar has carried the load at third in his absence – 44 starts around a calf injury of his own – Villar is hitting just .238 and his defensive metrics, while better than Davis', are barely above average.
Davis last played May 1, and since, Mets third basemen rank 22nd in average (.239) and 21st in OPS (.696), so J.D.'s bat is missed – but, as noted, he was the second-worst defensive third baseman in MLB in 2021 (-8 defensive runs saved).
The Mets have long been linked to an upgrade at third, with Kris Bryant's name bandied about since spring training and SNY's Andy Martino recently reporting the team has checked in with the Twins about Josh Donaldson, and Scott
"I think we're open to any type of addition to the roster that we think makes the team better," Scott said. "We're gonna explore any opportunity to make the team better."
The Mets do also have the potential luxury of moving Jeff McNeil over to third and finding a second baseman if that's an easier route, but any move is likely to be temporary given that Robinson Cano could return next year, and top prospect Brett Baty is tearing up High-A could arrive to man the hot corner as soon as sometime in 2023.
Until a move is made, though, Scott is bullish that getting Davis back, and thus finally having his full Opening Day lineup back together, which will be a big help as the Mets decide what to do in the next three weeks.
"Once we get J.D. back, we're back to pretty much our Opening Day team, so I think there's a lot of good players there," Scott said. "J.D. was having a very good season offensively when he got hurt. I think there's talent there. There's ability there. We need to get these guys better – some of them that aren't having the seasons they want – but it's good timing to get these guys back, see what we have, and give us a better sense of where they're at as we assess things for later this month."
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