Carson Benge winning his way onto the New York Mets Opening Day roster would be welcomed by most as long as he performs well in the spring. That’s usually the deciding factor for a rookie. Light it up in March and you can find your way onto the big league roster.
There’s a bit of a conundrum, though. Benge is currently battling against an open field of other Mets outfield contenders. We know Juan Soto is locked in for a spot. Left field remains wide open with Benge as a theoretical fit there as well as center field over Tyrone Taylor. Taylor will be present on the Mets roster regardless, just shoved aside in favor of Benge if the rising prospect becomes a St. Lucie star in two months.
A question for the Mets needs to be posed. If Benge doesn’t make the team, what’s the alternative?
The Mets need a Carson Benge backup plan ahead of time that won’t completely block him
This is where things get complicated. Let’s say the Mets add a left fielder and center fielder this offseason. You feel good about where they stand. They’ve crossed off two major checkboxes for the offseason. Both options are legitimate MLB starters in some capacity. By adding them, they’ve left no room for Benge to actually play significant time.
If the Mets are truly as high on Benge as it would appear, they can ill-afford to bring in some kind of major outfield duo. An additional left fielder and center fielder provide Benge with no pathway toward regular playing time unless the DH spot gets utilized more regularly by one of the outfielders. The Mets swung for the fences with Kyle Tucker to no avail. Where they go next is a mystery.
The best thing right now is to leave one of those positions weakened to begin the year. This may include a heavy dose of Taylor in center field to begin the year (easy) or adding a lesser player for left field while maybe going larger in center field with a player like Luis Robert Jr. or Byron Buxton if he can get pried from the Minnesota Twins. Someone like Austin Hays can get moved aside for Benge quite easily. He’d even be a good platoon partner with his strong ability to hit left-handed pitchers. Is it as satisfying from the get-go? Not nearly.
What the Mets can’t do is block Benge entirely or assume he’ll be ready to face big league pitchers right away. It’s a conundrum that requires a certain finesse with timing they can’t fully control.
