NY Mets: Three players who could have a J.D. Davis year in 2020

Eduardo Nunez – IF

A similar sentiment can be said about Mets infielder Eduardo Nunez. Brought in this offseason as a veteran looking to make good after a bad year, he’s someone we could probably expect to see start regularly at second base or third base following an injury.

In an extremely dire situation, the Mets may even put him out at shortstop. Nunez has a lot of experience there but has transitioned to playing second base and third base far more often in his more recent playing days.

It’s amazing that Nunez is only a few years removed from hitting .313. Back in 2017, Nunez split time with the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox. He had already established himself in baseball circles with an All-Star season in 2016 while playing for the Minnesota Twins.

For a time, Nunez was one of those players the New York Yankees wish they had never let slip away.

Nunez’s time in Boston didn’t go too well. From mid-2017 through the end of 2019 he hit .268/.293/.401. These weren’t the All-Star numbers Boston thought they were getting from the veteran infielder.

On the Mets, Nunez should play a far more limited role with the possibility of starting when someone lands on the IL. His biggest competition, Luis Guillorme, is similar but with a better glove and a shorter resume.

The Mets seem to like having a veteran on the roster to fill out their bench. It appeared to be one of their missions this offseason and even into the start of July’s summer camp with additions like Melky Cabrera to the team.

Nunez is an emergency button for the Mets to hit. For a short while, there’s a chance we even see him put together a nice stretch of baseball many didn’t think he had left in him.