New York Mets Bench: What it could look like on Opening Day

Dominic Smith – Mostly Pinch Hitter

After all of the trade rumors, Dominic Smith is still on the roster. At this point, unless the right trade comes along, I say we keep on to Smith to start the season so he can play the Matt Franco role of being the top pinch hitter coming off the bench for the Mets.

His 2019 slash line of .282/.355/.525/.881 shows he can hit MLB pitching and also showed he can come off the cold bench and heat up quickly providing clutch hits during the late innings. He is also a superior defender when compared to Pete Alonso and can also be used as a late-inning defensive replacement for the Polar Bear, especially in games that end up being blowouts during the late innings.

Another added bonus is now that Dom has learned to play the outfield, he can add some depth to both corner outfield positions.

Jed Lowrie – Backup Infielder

Now that we have covered the fourth outfielder, main pinch hitter, and backup catcher bench spots, now we need someone who can back up the infield positions. Granted, it looks like we will paying way too much for our utility infielder, but Jed Lowrie in many ways is perfect for this role with his ability to play all four infield positions extremely well.

Put that along with his professional hitting approach at the plate and we have found our super-utility guy, who can not only come in for improved defense up the middle but also allow the Mets to spell the aging Robinson Cano weekly and also allow them to occasionally rest Jeff McNeil or Amed Rosario when rest is needed for those players. I guess some trades are better off not being made.