Subtracting Bruce from that mix may open up some playing time for Nimmo and Lagares. That was the message conveyed by Alderson, although he noted that not everyone in the outfield would have the same amount of playing time.
And with Bruce gone, and an everyday spot in the lineup now opened up, it became easier for the Mets to summon Smith, who was the Mets’ first round pick in 2013 and is known for his contact bat and smooth fielding. He was a career .302 hitter in the minor leagues, including a .330 average with 16 homers, 76 runs batted in and a .905 on-base-plus-slugging percentage at Class AAA Las Vegas this season.
“We want to get a look at him beyond a typical September call-up,” Alderson said, although the Mets have heard criticism for weeks that they were already taking too long to get Smith into a major league uniform.
In any case, he is here now and, Alderson noted, he will able to acclimate to the majors on the road, in a series against the Phillies with nothing at stake, before the Mets begin a far more intense four-game set against the Yankees on Monday.
And it is the Yankees who became part of the discussion around the Bruce trade. It turned out the…
