PORT ST. LUCIE — The verdict is in: Ruben Tejada, having spent eight offseason weeks at a Michigan training center, appears more defined and less doughy. No one will mistake him for Nomar Garciaparra in 2001 — you don’t see ballplayers that chiseled anymore, for some reason — but Tejada seems better prepared for the grind to come.
“You can tell he’s really worked hard and trimmed down,” manager Terry Collins said Monday, after the Mets’ first workout for pitchers and catchers at Tradition Field. “I asked him how much faster he was. He said, ‘I’ll show you.’ He’ll have a chance.”
“That’s what I needed to do to get ready for 162 games,” said Tejada, who showed up in town Sunday, four days earlier than required.
He’ll need the fortification. Tejada’s 2014 season isn’t just about his future as a major leaguer. It also will serve as a referendum on his bosses — his owners, most specifically — by a still-sensitive fan base.
“I don’t pay attention to that,” Tejada said, when asked whether he followed the free-agent saga of Stephen Drew. “I pay attention only to me.”
Good strategy for Tejada. Not happening for the rest of us, though.
As Tejada strives to regain the faith of his superiors following a brutal 2013, fellow shortstop Drew will work out at the Miami training facility built by his representative, Scott Boras, the king of spring-training free agency. The Mets have communicated with Boras about Drew throughout the winter and have been steadfast: They won’t rule out signing Drew, but they don’t view his arrival in Mets camp as likely.
Look, let’s not elevate Drew to some elite status. The Red Sox loved having him as part of their title-winning team last year, yet they aren’t knocking down walls to retain him, even after Ryan Dempster’s de facto retirement left them with an extra $13.25 million to spend. The Yankees might possess baseball’s worst second base-shortstop-third base trio — unless Derek Jeter can a) return to his 2012 production level and b) clone that version of himself twice — and really aren’t in on Drew at this juncture.
Furthermore, some Mets officials want to get another look at Tejada, who doesn’t turn 25 until October and who owns a .338 career minor-league on-base percentage — quite acceptable for a shortstop with a good glove — and put up a .345 OBP in 877 plate appearances in 2011 and 2012.
Of course, it’s never simple in Flushing. With the contracts of Jason Bay, Frank Francisco and Johan Santana essentially coming off the books upon the conclusion of the 2013 season, the Mets committed $87.25 million over the winter to bring aboard Bartolo Colon, Curtis Granderson and Chris Young. Those expenditures, combined with raises for arbitration-eligible players, left the Mets’ payroll pretty much flat, at about $87 million — which is, of course, quite low for a New York club.
Drew stands as a probable upgrade in production and a definite increase in expenses. For a team that slashed its budget dramatically since reaching a peak of about $150 million in 2009 and hasn’t put up a winning record since 2008 — the Mets’ five straight years of losing records ties the Astros for the current ineptitude streak — he symbolizes, to at least some Mets fans, a test of the team’s devotion.
Are the Mets willing to extend themselves? Mets COO Jeff Wilpon and general manager Sandy Alderson have said they would, for the right player. You could argue that Drew, while not elite, is that right player, especially when the Mets want so badly to be relevant this season.
Which brings us back to Tejada. Alderson and Collins openly criticized the Panama native last year for his work ethic. He looked to combat that with his time at the Barwis Methods Plymouth (Mich.) Training Center, joining Lucas Duda and other Mets in a makeover effort. Tejada spent four weeks there in November, then returned for four weeks in January.
“I think he’s coming into this camp with a different attitude and a different makeup. There’s something to prove,” Collins said. “This kid’s never seen weather like that before. To deal with it not only one month, but to go back and do it again, when he could be outside in Panama running and fielding ground balls … that tells you something.”
Tejada can validate himself and vindicate his owners. Or he can exhaust the patience of the club that signed him eight years ago and exhaust Mets fans even more, all the more so if Drew goes elsewhere and plays well.
As Collins said, Tejada will have a chance to show everyone. The stakes are high.