Could the 28-year-old shortstop be an upgrade for the Mets?
The Mets might look at 28-year-old Roberto Carlos, a shortstop who defected from Cuba in late 2012, says Mike Puma of the Post. The team has had a glaring hole at shortstop since losing Jose Reyes to free agency. Carlos, a switch-hitter, batted .339 with four homers and 49 RBI with the Cuban national team in 2012. Concerns linger, however, because he hasn't played at a high level of competition the past few years.
Wilmer Flores is currently auditioning at short, but there have always been questions about whether or not he is defensively capable of playing there. Flores's bat hasn't exactly lived up to expectations yet, either, as he has hit .222/.255/.293 in 251 major league plate appearances between last year and this year. Matt Reynolds might be another option down the road for the Mets, hitting a combined .346 between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas this season. And the Mets still have Ruben Tejada, of course.
Carlos is an interesting option. According to Puma, sources familiar with the player claim he may have "slipped through the cracks" because he did not have representation immediately after defecting from Cuba.