2009 New York Mets Outfield Preview: A Puzzle Still Unsolved in Left

It is almost time for another season of New York Mets baseball. The truck has departed Queens and is headed to Port St. Lucie, FL. Pitchers and catchers will report in about six days.

General Manager Omar Minaya has found an answer to several pressing questions this offseason, but there are still some remaining. The outfield situation, and more specifically the left field situation, is most definitely one of them.

The New York Mets currently have nine outfielders on their 40-man roster. Of those nine, only two can be expected to play every day.

The Center field position should be already set, barring injury, with Carlos Beltran. The Gold Glove outfielder can be counted on for excellent defense, a leadership position among the other outfielders, and above-average offensive production.

Beltran's power numbers were down in 2008, although he improved his batting average eight points from 2007. In 2009, look for Carlos to have a slightly better year power-wise, while driving in 115+ runs and batting in the .280 range.

In right field, Ryan Church is the favorite to win the starting job. Church got out to an excellent start in 2008 but suffered a concussion on May 20 and was not the same player following his return.

If Church starts off the season the same way he started off the last and sustains his numbers as the season goes on, he should be the man in right field. Look for his average to hover around .300, and his RBI total to be around 80-100.

The left-field position is where the puzzle begins. The Mets have not had an everyday left fielder since Cliff Floyd departed following the 2006 season. Omar Minaya signed veteran Moises Alou, hoping to get one year out of him.

Alou was unable to stay healthy, but produced good offensive numbers in 2007. Minaya made a mistake by giving him an extension for 2008, and Alou only managed to play in 15 games.

The left field position then turned into a revolving door, seeing Angel Pagan, Fernando Tatis, Daniel Murphy, Endy Chavez, and Nick Evans all getting starts.

The Mets must find some continuity in left field if they want to win the NL East. The platoon of Murphy and Tatis was the solution that Jerry Manuel used most over the summer, with spot starts for Evans and others.

In the offseason, the Mets did not re-sign Moises Alou, and traded Endy Chavez away. They acquired utility outfielder Jeremy Reed in the Putz trade, and signed former Rockies center field backup Cory Sullivan to a minor league deal.

Power hitting left fielders Adam Dunn and the now-infamous Manny Ramirez are still available on the free agent market, but Minaya has publicly stated that the Mets won't be making any more big signings.

Provided Beltran and Church get the majority of the starts in center and right field, respectively, and Reed is their backup, who will play left field? Right now, it looks like Daniel Murphy will get the first shot at it, although many believe he is better suited to second base.

Fernando Tatis stepped up at the plate in the second half of 2008, but I can't see him becoming the starter.

Maybe it is finally time to try top-prospect Fernando Martinez in the major leagues. He is a center fielder by trade, but who's to say he couldn't take a shot at left field? He has been making good progress in the minors, and has tremendous upside, although his glaring weakness is batting against left handed pitchers.

If the Mets do not want to bring F-Mart up quite yet, and would like to try a Murphy/Tatis platoon in left, I would suggest signing Orlando Hudson to play second base.

That scenario would leave Murphy to commit his time to left field, and the platoon could work, if only until the trade deadline when Minaya could deal for a more established left fielder.

As spring training gets underway, fans will have a better idea of who will be the left fielder. Until then, good luck to Murphy, Tatis, and everyone else who will be competing for that last outfield spot.