Ruben Gotay Back On the Radar
Anyone remember Ruben Gotay?
He was in the midst of being the Mets’ version of Robinson Cano a few years back, but was curiously hated repressed by then-manager Willie Randolph (and undervalued by Marty Noble). Willie valued defense at second base, but was generous enough to give the iron-gloved Gotay a start whenever Halley’s Comet appeared.
Though the switch-hitting second baseman hit .295 in limited duty in 2007, he didn’t make the club in ’08 and was picked up by the Braves, where he slipped to .235 in even more limited playing time. Last year was spent in AAA Reno (Diamondbacks system) and he hit 11 HR, 57 RBI, .292 AVG., .429 OBP, and .879 OPS — with an eye-popping 102 walks in only 118 games. This performance was enough to draw the interest of Dave Cameron over at FanGraphs, who put him at the top of the list of “interesting guys available” among minor league free agents.
I have to admit, I always had a soft spot for Ruben Gotay, and felt he deserved better from Willie and co. Now that the Mets could be in the market for a backup infielder, why not consider another go-around for Ruben?
True, his glove has never been great, but it’s not nearly as bad as Randolph made it out to be, and he did display the physical capabilities of range, strong arm, and soft hands. He’ll never win a Gold Glove but if he can get on base over 40% of the time and slug over .400 he won’t need to. Further, Gotay already showed he can both play in New York and be effective off the bench (if given the chance) — he led the Mets in pinch-hits in 2007.
Yes, he put up these impressive numbers in a “hitter’s league”. But Gotay always hit at every level in the minors — and in fact his numbers were almost identical to those of Cano at similar points in their minor league careers. I’m not saying he’ll turn into Cano — only getting across that Gotay has consistently been impressive offensively, and that his recent success is not a mirage.
To refresh your memory, Gotay is a switch-hitter, his primary position is second base, he can also play shortstop in a pinch, and he can handle third base. He has above-average speed that combines with heady baserunning and he hustles. And, he turns 27 on Christmas Day — so he’s about to enter his peak years as a ballplayer.
Oh, and may I reiterate that he’s a minor league free agent, and will cost nothing more than an ST invite? If he makes the team he’ll likely receive the MLB minimum salary.
Or the Mets can give Alex Cora a guaranteed, multi-million-dollar contract to hit a weak .250 and be a team leader (from the bench).
Thoughts?
Unless the Wilpons are planning to go to a $200 million payroll, Alex Cora should not get a guaranteed contract from the Mets.
trs86: most teams DO carry 2 infield bench players, along with 2 outfield bench players and a backup catcher. So, if it were their perogative, the Mets could carry Gotay AND still possess another infield bench player whose role is specific to defense.
Guys like Gotay and Pagan would make our bench very strong, albeit Gotay is somewhat of a defensive liability, but certainly not the worst fielder. He just seems to bear down and get a hit when it matters, and Pagan has a similar quality.
But you raise a valid point — why has he been unable to keep a job at the MLB level?
I’d guess it’s a combination of circumstances and not hitting enough when given the opportunity. His bat is his main tool, and if he’s not hitting, he has little value. While with the Braves he was slumping, and it’s hard to work out of a slump when you only play twice a week.
I’m not making an excuse, rather trying to find a possibility as to why he hasn’t been an MLB player lately.
In any case he’s a bench player — a 24th or 25th man — and unless you’re the Yankees you don’t expect to have a 5-tool stud with All-Star experience filling out your roster.
If you followed MetsToday back then, you would know my long list of reasons I wanted Gotay in the lineup. So my criticism isn’t exactly “unfounded” — you just have to comb through the archives to unearth my reasons.
Also, if you remember, Gotay sprained his ankle early in ST in 2008, limiting his ABs and affecting his swing. He hit only .229 as a result and was DFA’d. He was still hobbling when the Braves picked him up, and he never “got it going” with the bat. In fact he was used almost exclusively as a pinch-hitter, not starting in a game until that June (he went 3-for-5). In the 88 games he played for the Braves, he started 9.
I’m not going to criticize Bobby Cox for releasing Gotay, and I’m not sure that anything was “re-proved”.
And once again, we’re arguing over a guy who is a 25th man — I’m not suggesting that the Mets pick him up and pencil him in at the top of the lineup, starting at 2B. Merely presenting him as a very cheap, young, and offensive alternative to Alex Cora.
But hey if you don’t like Gotay for whatever reason, that’s cool. There are several other cheap backup infielders to consider.