Mets have discussed switching Reyes and Cabrera in the infield

The Mets are toying with the idea of having Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes switch positions in the infield.

A new report from Mike Puma of the New York Post points out that while the Mets are considering this move, it may not happen anytime soon.

It’s not secret that the left side of the defense for these New York Mets has been a bit rough, to say the least. Asdrubal Cabrera has been battling knee issues early on this season again, and while his glove and arm are still reliable, his range has been drastically cut because of his physical discomfort.

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To his right is Jose Reyes who is playing third base again this season, but has shown he’s still getting use to a relatively new position. As a long-time shortstop, Reyes’ struggles have come mainly from throwing, so to many, it would make sense to switch these two guys to better fit their current limitations.

Unfortunately for the Mets, Cabrera is reportedly not on board with this idea. According to Puma, the veteran shortstop just isn’t a fan of moving to third base without the added practice of spring training, and team officials don’t want to force him to either.

Reyes, on the other hand, is obviously up for the swap. He came back to the team this season with the intention of playing wherever he was needed, including, as we recall, the outfield, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t recognize there is some development he still needs to make at third base.

"“Some ground balls, I am not going to say I get confused, but it’s different over there. I get caught in between deciding whether to charge or wait back on the ball. But I am getting used to the position.I’ll do whatever they ask me to do. I went to spring training with the understanding I was even going to play the outfield, so whatever they need.”"

Another move the Mets could potentially make is to move Neil Walker to third, and have Cabrera play second base — a position at which he actually has some experience — while Reyes fills in at short.

Walker’s offensively slump obviously concerns the team, so adding a new position to the mix may not be the best decision to make at this point.

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Whether an infield swap occurs or not, this Mets defense will need to get tighter in the months to come if they want to make a serious playoff run. The pitching doesn’t look to be nearly as lights out as we had hoped, so getting to as many balls as possible for outs will be key to winning some games this season.

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