In an exclusive report from the New York Post, Mets manager Terry Collins has selected his second baseman, and it isn't who you think.
Luis Hernandez has been selected to be the Mets starter at second. The light hitting second baseman has beaten out incumbent Luis Castillo and Daniel Murphy for the starting job, according to the report.
Hernandez played only 17 games for the Mets last year, and hit two homers with six RBI.
The report says that Collins was not impressed with Murphy's defense, even though he wants him on the team as a bench player. Castillo is tricky. He is being paid $6 million this season, and the Mets would have to release him and eat the money if he doesn't make the team.
Castillo has been bane of the Mets fans existence. His lack of hustle, and of course the infamous dropped pop up in Yankee Stadium two years ago, made Castillo into the second most hated man on the Mets, next to Oliver Perez.
There is a big snag though in Collins plans. Brad Emaus is a favorite of the front office, having been picked up by assistant GM J.P. Ricciardi in the Rule 5 draft. Emaus has not distinguished himself this spring, but the front office may want to see him on the team, instead of losing him back to the Blue Jays. According to Rule 5 Draft rules, a player drafted in the Rule 5 must remain on a 25 man roster, or risk being sent back to his original team.
Ricciardi is the former GM of the Blue Jays, and probably doesn't want to see his prospect leave. This could be a big problem, as once again the front office steps in the way of what could be best for the team.
If Collins is forced to take Emaus, he will have to choose between Murphy and Hernandez, the two guys he wants on the team.
It's a sticky situation. The Mets have three GM's in Sandy Alderson, Ricciardi and Paul DePodesta in their front office. Eventually the three would collide with the teams interests, and this is just an example.
This is not to say Hernandez is an All Star in waiting, the Mets are probably better off keeping Castillo if everything was even. But, the fact that the manager could have trouble getting the guys he wants on the team is a bad sign.
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