It was an uninspiring 2014 for the shortstop in what may have been his final season in Queens.
Going into the 2014 season, the Mets had no clear solution at shortstop. Ruben Tejada and Wilmer Flores were considered the two primary options. After a tumultuous 2013, Tejada was in dire need of a good performance in 2014 to keep a spot on the club. Flores was considered as one of the team's best position player prospects, giving him an automatic advantage. After spring training, the light-hitting, defense-first Tejada was given a chance, becoming the official starter at the position. What he did with this opportunity might have rendered 2014 as his final season in Queens.
Tejada's season got off to an inauspicious start. He had an abysmal April, hitting .221/.338/.250 slash line with a 62 wRC+. His spot in the lineup often became a black hole since he contributed basically nothing at the plate.
He went hitless during the first week of May, leading to the promotion of Wilmer Flores to the big club from Triple-A Las Vegas on the 9th. From that point on, Tejada seemed to feel the pressure of possibly losing his job. On May 11th, he hit a walk-off single in the 11th against the Phillies, only his second hit of the month to that point. He closed out May strongly to the tune of a 160 wRC+ in 55 plate appearances. This surprising performance was capped off by his first home run of the season on the 31st in Philadelphia.
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His June wasn't nearly as productive as his torrid May, but he performed to around league average, putting up a 99 wRC+. Despite his unspectacular play, he started the majority of the games at shortstop. Terry Collins wasn't quite ready to give up on him, leading to confusion among the fanbase.
July was the same old story for Tejada. Other than his walk-off against the Braves on the 7th, Tejada had another disappointing month. His 88 wRC+ for the season was not getting the job done, and he would soon pay the price.
On August 7, the decision was made. Wilmer Flores became the primary starting shortstop, leaving Tejada as the backup. His opportunity was all but over. On top of this, he performed dreadfully during August when he actually played, posting a ghastly 22 wRC+ in 42 plate appearances.
He didn't get much more playing time in September, sitting on the bench while Flores ran away with the job. However, Tejada did perform well to close out the season, playing to a stout 151 wRC+ with two surprising home runs, including one on the final day of the season.
Tejada's final line for 2014 was not pretty. His triple slash line of .237/.342/.310 and a mere 89 wRC+ were not enough to warrant the starting shortstop job for the Mets. However, Tejada has been fine as a defender, the only edge he has over Flores. According to FanGraphs, Tejada was worth only 1.2 WAR. After making $1.1 million in 2013, Tejada is set for arbitration this winter. It would not be shocking to see the Mets non-tender him.
Desired 2015 role: Backup shortstop for the Mets who performs well enough to keep his spot for the entire season.
Expected 2015 role: Non-tendered by the Mets, leaving him as a backup option for another team.