NY Mets: 3 players who have won bigger big league roles next season

Will these three New York Mets players return in 2022? I’m not so certain. All have played exceptionally well in 2021 with the team to the point where these part-time players with no guaranteed contracts next year could find themselves on another club in a bigger role.

We’ve seen a lot of great bench mob moments in 2021. The birth of this new group of secondary stars, we may have to enjoy the best they can offer before the season is through.

Because players are always looking for the best contract, amount of playing time, and overall situation for themselves, these three Mets may experience glory elsewhere in 2022. However, nothing is set in stone and maybe we can convince at least one of them to return in a more advanced role.

Brandon Drury is the king of the Mets bench mob and a viable bench piece to retain

Brandon Drury joined the Mets this offseason without high expectations. He was coming off of several down seasons after a promising start to his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Still under 30 and wielding possibly the strongest bat of his entire career, I would like to see the Mets invite him back for a full-time role on the club’s bench next season.

He is, after all, my first annual inductee into the Mets Bench Mob Hall of Fame.

It’s very possible my dreams will come true. Drury is still arbitration-eligible. Tendering him a deal could make sense with the potential loss of a couple of other members of the roster. His ability to play multiple positions makes him intriguing for sure. Both an infielder and outfielder, there are a lot of ways to use this veteran back on the rise again.

Moneywise, it isn’t a pain at all to keep Drury. He’ll make a modest amount.

The one factor I could see leading to his departure from the Mets is a desire to seek out even more playing time. I don’t foresee the Mets using him as more than a bench player. As wonderful as he has been, he is a long way from even getting into a full-time platoon situation.

I’ll welcome Drury back with open arms next year. Until we know for sure what lies ahead for him, I’m going to enjoy every pinch-hit at-bat he gives us.

Jonathan Villar will be tough to keep after the year he has had

Jonathan Villar signed a one-year deal with the Mets this offseason following a rough season in 2020. A well-known name from his early days with the Milwaukee Brewers and pretty awesome 2019 campaign with the Baltimore Orioles, it was a superb addition to the club’s bench.

Villar hasn’t ridden the pine nearly as much as any of us thought. He has been one of the team’s most active players and vital to ensuring there wasn’t a season-long hole at third base.

Although his season totals aren’t about to win him a future job as a starter for a contender team, I can see Villar as an everyday player on a club hoping to overcome the odds. At best, maybe he becomes part of a platoon—maybe even with the Mets.

The third base situation in Flushing is temporary. We see Brett Baty hitting in the minors and his time for a promotion is quickly approaching. Unlikely to happen at the start of next season, Baty is well on track to be the starting third baseman for this team by 2023. Could a Villar platoon with J.D. Davis at third base in 2022 be a temporary plan for the Mets?

The downside to this is that Villar would need a salary raise without actually getting much more playing time. I’m interested to see what the market for him looks like. As fun as he has been, he’s not one of the best third basemen in baseball or close to it.

However, he should have a bigger role somewhere in 2022.