Mets Explain Strange Decision to Not Call Up Top Prospect After Luis Guillorme Injury

The New York Mets' road to the MLB postseason became a bit harder when it was announced that infielder Luis Guillorme injured his groin over the weekend. With the 27-year-old sidelined for the next three or four weeks, many assumed the Mets would use his injury to promote top prospects Brett Baty or Mark Vientos.

The Mets surprised fans by opting to promote veteran Deven Marrero from Triple-A Syracuse instead. It's a bizarre move given that Marrero is 31 years old and hasn't exactly produced at the MLB level.

However, Mets insider Anthony DiComo has shared some insight behind the organization's strange decision.

Mets Roster Moves

According to DiComo, the Mets decided not to promote either top prospect because they "do not yet feel comfortable having Baty or Vientos play defensively in the Major Leagues." He added that another source doesn't expect either player to see an MLB at-bat in 2022.

The Mets supposedly see Vientos and Baty as "bat-first" prospects who might not be ready to take over Guillorme's platoon role at third base. DiComo also says that the Mets don't want to get stuck if Francisco Lindor ever gets hurt, meaning any call-up needed to be capable of playing in the middle infield.

Both up-and-comers also have limited middle infield experience, with Baty having never played there while Vientos only has 190 innings played at shortstop. Instead, it's reported that New York would rather play them in the outfield or at first base.

Meanwhile, Marrero has played 93 MLB innings at shortstop with a perfect fielding percentage. He's also played everywhere in the infield except first base in the minors this year, so his glove-first playing style is exactly what the Mets were looking for.

While it doesn't look like Baty and Vientos will reach the Majors anytime soon, never say never. If injuries keep piling up as the 2022 campaign nears its conclusion, the Mets could be in a spot where they have no choice but to call up a top prospect if it helps them win the World Series.

Mets World Series Odds

The NL East leaders are one of the top threats to win the 2022 World Series, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. For now, the Mets' +450 odds to win a championship rank fourth-best across the Majors.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.