Despite his status as a Rule-5 pick and J.P. Ricciardi’s voice trumpeting his name, Brad Emaus’ stay with the New York Mets was short and uneventful.
Today, the Mets designated Emaus for assignment and called up Justin Turner from Triple-A Buffalo.
Emaus hit just .162 with one RBI in 14 games this season. Initially, the Mets loved his power and his ability to get on base. But he showed none of those skills during his time in the majors.
He won his job as the Mets’ second baseman, along with Daniel Murphy, mainly because of that track record. If not for his status as a Rule-5 pick, it’s unlikely Emaus would have made the team out of spring training.
Emaus must now go through waivers before being offered back to the Toronto Blue Jays for $25,000—half the price the Mets paid for him in the draft.
Emaus was given plenty of chances to impress manager Terry Collins. At the very least, he received as much of a shot as Murphy, and was basically handed a spot on the 25-man roster.
Murphy and Emaus each have played in 14 games this season. In 31 at-bats, Murphy is batting .226 with four RBI.
Entering this season, the biggest issue the Mets had was second base. After the release of Luis Castillo, the Mets hoped the offense of Emaus, a righty, and Murphy, a lefty, would give them versatility from day to day.
Their success hinged on the offense, which Collins said was most important from the position, and would compensate for a flawed defense. Neither Emaus nor Murphy have shown to be particularly adept with the glove, but Emaus has been particularly bad, botching two potential double plays last week against the Colorado Rockies.
With Turner now called up, the Mets will have another right-handed bat to split time with Murphy. Mets fans might also get a glimpse of their future second baseman, as Turner is certainly in the mix to fill that role.
26-year-old Turner hit .300 (12-for-40) with two RBI in 10 games for Triple-A Buffalo this season. He is also decent defender, holding a .973 fielding percentage over six seasons at second base. But it’s his bat that will make or break him now that’s he’s made it to “The Show.”
Murphy has to be happy about this move. Not because Emaus is out, but because he has given the Mets enough for them to still consider him a second baseman.
Turner is in the lineup tonight, batting eighth against the Houston Astros. He could potentially start twice in this series against the two left-handed Astros starters.
Pedro Beato is now the only Rule-5 pick remaining. He’ll try to become the first pick to stay with the Mets for an entire season and become team property since Kelly Stinnett in 1994.
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