(Jacob Resnick/Mets Minors)
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Six years ago, Gavin Cecchini came to Coney Island as one of the most promising prospects in the Mets’ system. Just 19 at the time, the 2012 first-round draft pick starred for the Cyclones, hitting .273 and at one point owning a 16-game hit streak, one shy of the team record. Websites like Baseball America lauded his solid skill set across the board and predicted — as early as that 2013 season — that he would become a fixture in New York’s lineup by 2016.
Six years and just 36 major league games later, Cecchini returned to Brooklyn on Sunday in arguably the exact opposite situation than the one in which he played in 2013. Dropped from the 40-man roster in January, he spent the spring months nursing a torn quadriceps before joining the Cyclones on a rehabilitation assignment.
“My body feels great,” said Cecchini who went 1-for-4 with a double and played nine innings at shortstop in Brooklyn’s 11-1 loss to the Staten Island Yankees. “Just getting my timing back and everything. Today was a good first step.”
Gavin Cecchini doubled in a rehab appearance for the Brooklyn Cyclones on Sunday: pic.twitter.com/GtIyUkslcK
— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) June 24, 2019
Already on the outskirts of the Mets’ roster, Cecchini was designated for assignment to make room for the free agent signing of Justin Wilson. The move came on the heels of a lost 2018 season in which Cecchini played just 30 games before fouling a ball off of his foot in Triple-A. Rehab went slower than expected and he ultimately recovered too late for a September call-up. Despite remaining in the organization, Cecchini now finds himself behind the plethora of veterans that the Mets brought into the system on the depth chart, and, of course, another injury hasn’t helped his cause.
Still just 25 however, Cecchini strongly believes — given good health — that he can make it back to the major leagues.
“I’ve put up really good numbers, but it’s just that I’ve been injured and hurt,” Cecchini said. “It’s really nothing I can control. I’m doing everything I can to stay healthy, and when I’m healthy the numbers are there so it’s just a matter of keeping going out there and doing my thing.”
Cecchini at one point referred to his temporary teammates as “kids,” before quickly noting that he is barely older than most of them. It was a stark reminder of how much he has experienced as a professional while still having his prime years ahead of him.
A key element in Cecchini’s return has been the hands-on instruction he’s received while rehabbing over the past couple of months from coaches like current Cyclones manager Edgardo Alfonzo and Rich Donnelly, the current Kingsport skipper who managed Cecchini during his first tour of duty in Brooklyn.
“I hadn’t seen [Donnelly] in a while, so it was great to catch up with him,” Cecchini said. “Towards the end [of Extended Spring Training] I was able to work with [Alfonzo]. Obviously, he was a great player and whenever you’re around great players you want to pick their brain and see what worked for them and maybe it can work for you.”
Though Cecchini will be a minor league free agent at the end of this season, there are always avenues available to extend the player-club relationship. While the Syracuse veterans like Danny Espinosa and Ruben Tejada likely aren’t in the organization come next spring, a player like Cecchini holds potential value. He appears to be sacrificing himself for the team, no matter how much time he has left.
“I’m here to do what they call upon me to do and to help the team win,” Cecchini said. “Wherever they need me, I’m here.”
“Here” is with Brooklyn for now, but likely Syracuse after the upcoming week. It’s in upstate New York where Cecchini will be waiting in the wings.
