51s will juggle lineup to fill departed Dilson Herrera’s role
His words didn’t say it, but the look on his face seemed to tell a different story.
For once, Dilson Herrera, the normally cheerful second baseman, wasn’t smiling Monday right before he left Cashman Field for the final time as a member of the 51s.
Herrera was traded by the New York Mets to the Cincinnati Reds on Monday as part of a deal for All-Star Jay Bruce, and the 51s will miss more than just his constant presence atop their lineup.
“He was a great clubhouse guy. Everybody loved him,” third baseman T.J. Rivera said. “It sucks to lose him because he’s got a lot of energy, brings a lot to the table, especially at the top of the order. I’m sure a lot of guys will step up.”
Shortstop Gavin Cecchini will hit leadoff, which he did last season at Double-A Binghamton.
“What I tried to do in the lineup with both those guys (Herrera and Cecchini) is protect them with a veteran player behind them, and so this will give Gavin more at-bats, and he’ll be protected by a veteran player still, but it’ll be at the top of the order,” Las Vegas manager Wally Backman said.
On Monday, in the team’s first game without Herrera, Roger Bernadina, who has spent parts of seven seasons in the major leagues, hit behind Cecchini.
“I like hitting at the top of the lineup,” Cecchini said. “I think I’m a top of the lineup guy, and I like getting a lot of at-bats and getting on base and scoring runs.”
Cecchini had batted second often this season, but also saw time down in the order.
Though Cecchini will take Herrera’s spot in the lineup, the 51s will turn to others to fill his void in the field. Before he left, Herrera was pegged to be the Mets’ second baseman in waiting. Signs pointed to him becoming the team’s starter in 2017.
With that role vacated, the Mets could opt to let Cecchini, who has committed a team-high 28 errors in 76 games entering Tuesday, try to play second.
For now, that doesn’t seem likely. Backman said Cecchini would strictly play shortstop.
The original plan was for Ty Kelly to get a bulk of the time at second, but that plan was thwarted after the Mets called up Kelly on Tuesday.
Now, with the roster as currently constructed, Niuman Romero probably will see a lot of time at second. Rivera filled in there earlier in the season, and he could shift over, though Backman has liked him at third base.
Eric Campbell presents another option at second, though it’s a position that’s less natural for him, and the preference might be to move Rivera to second and slide in Campbell at third.
“I helped teach (Campbell) to play second, and he got to play it in the big leagues a few times,” said Backman, who played second base in 826 of his 955 major league games. “He’s not your typical second baseman because he’s such a big guy, but the one thing about ‘Soup’ is he’s a baseball player, meaning that he’ll do whatever he’s asked to do.”
While the 51s do what they can to try to replace Herrera’s absence on the field, it will be hard to do the same in the clubhouse. Herrera was lauded often for his high energy level and ability to connect with all teammates. He carried a positive vibe around with him and liked to joke around to loosen things up.
“There’s no doubt it’s a hit to the clubhouse,” Backman said. “But these things happen all the time. You have to overcome it.”
Betsy Helfand can be reached at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @BetsyHelfand
