The New York Mets decided to part ways with Ruben Tejada by placing him on waivers on Tuesday. According to reports, the Mets decided to let Tejada go so they wouldn’t have to pay him the $3 million left on his salary. Releasing Tejada also shouldn’t affect New York’s online MLB sportsbook odds of winning the World Series because he had only three homeruns and two stolen bases last season when the Mets won the National League.
According to reports, Tejada was supposed to be with the team for a preseason game against the Miami Marlins, but his bags were left behind when the team bus left. When reached for comments, New York general manager Sandy Alderson declined to speak with reporters because Major League Baseball does not allow teams to discuss waivers.
The possibility of the Mets releasing Tejada had been discussed lately because the Mets retooled their infield during the offseason, leaving Tejada as the odd man out. The fact that the Mets could save $2.5 million by releasing him made the decision easier for the team.
An injury to Asdrubal Cabrera during spring training led to rumors that the Mets would keep Tejada on their opening day roster as an insurance policy, but the team decided to go with financial flexibility instead and put Tejada on waivers.
When asked about the possibility of the team releasing him last week, Tejada told reporters that the decision wasn’t up to him, and his mentality was to stay focused and do his job.
Getting rid of Tejada makes a lot of financial sense for the Mets, but if they have any other infield injuries while Cabrera is still hurt, they will have to sign someone to fill the spot, which might be difficult at this point of the season where all the notable free agents have already signed with other teams.
The move to put Tejada on waivers was a little surprising because he had just started hitting the ball well and had a double against the Marlins on Sunday.
While Tejada isn’t considered a long-term starter by most teams in the league, he is still considered to be a valuable asset off the bench mostly due to his defense. According to people with inside knowledge of the Mets organization, the team feels that despite Cabrera’s injury, Tejada is expendable because the team has confidence in Wilmer Flores who they think can handle shortstop duties until Cabrera returns to the lineup.
The Mets also feel that prospect Matt Reynolds can handle the backup shortstop duties until Cabrera returns.
Even though the Mets say they feel comfortable with Reynolds backing up Flores until Cabrera returns, Reynolds is batting .143 during spring training. As he gets more playing time his batting average will improve, but right now, the team would have been definitely better off keeping Tejada.
