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Gavin Cecchini Getting a Second Chance

By John Sheridan

August 31, 2016 5 Comments

Gavin Cecchini

Gavin Cecchini has been in limbo over the past few seasons. He’s a shortstop that has no future at the position. Asdrubal Cabrera is ahead of him at the major league level through next season and perhaps the year after that. Charging up through the system behind him is Amed Rosario, who is a much better regarded prospect by all of baseball. Given Rosario’s trajectory, he is in line to become the Mets shortstop when Cabrera’s contract expires.

The end result is Cecchini, a well regarded prospect in his own right, will most likely never play shortstop for the Mets. With that in mind, unless he changes positions, he has no future with the Mets. With the Mets trading away “second baseman of the future” Dilson Herrera in the Jay Bruce trade, there is an opening at second base. It’s an opening that Cecchini looks ready to fill.

According to Betsy Helfand, the Mets have had Cecchini working out at second base. During the offseason, the Mets will send Cecchini to the Arizona Fall League to play some second base in what will presumably be his transition to the position full time. Both Cecchini and the Mets need this to work.

Cecchini needs to transition to second because it is his best chance to break into the major leagues, not just with the Mets, but with anyone. His struggles defensively at shortstop may be a bit overblown, but they are still present. There exists real doubt he can be an everyday shortstop at the major league level.

He has been a good hitter over the course of his minor league career, but he does not put up the classic power numbers that you would want from a third baseman. With that in mind, Cecchini’s future is second base. If he adapts, he could possibly find himself in the mix for the Mets second base position next season at some point.

There are no guarantees that the Mets are going to be able to or definitely have interest in re-signing Neil Walker. In that scenario, depending upon the health of David Wright, Jose Reyes will most likely be the Opening Day third baseman. Given Wright’s and Reyes’ injury histories, the Mets will need someone to come up and play second base sooner or later. That player should be Cecchini.

With that, Cecchini is once again a fixture in the Mets plans. He is still a middle infielder of the future. It’s just that now Cecchini appears to be the second baseman of the future instead of the shortstop of the future.

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