Ever since Jose Reyes departed as a free agent following a 2011 season in which he hit .337 and captured the National League batting title, shortstop has been one eternal revolving door for the Mets.
Wilmer Flores, the latest player manning the position — following in the footsteps of the since-deposed Ruben Tejada — has had an adventurous year in the field, with a .941 fielding percentage entering Friday. He also was hitting just .240, albeit with six homers in 129 at-bats.
Should the Mets decide Flores’ shaky defense no longer supports him playing the position, they could turn to 24-year-old Matt Reynolds, who has been patiently awaiting his turn at Triple-A Las Vegas.
“He has a good approach, smarts and intelligence that will play at the higher level,” Las Vegas hitting coach Jack Voigt said. “He just needs to stay confident and positive. He’s done a good job with us so far here. His numbers actually don’t show how well he’s hit the ball.”
Reynolds, selected in the second round of the 2012 draft from the University of Arkansas, took a few years to find himself in Mets’ farm system, hitting just .226 in his first full season in the minor leagues. Nevertheless, he came into his own in 2014, hitting .343 in time split between Las Vegas and Double-A Binghamton.
“We thought he would probably do a little bit better, [but] we were thrilled with his development at shortstop, and that was a real plus,” Mets vice president of player development and scouting Paul DePodesta told The Post last July.
Though Reynolds has seen a slight dip in his 2015 stats, he still was hitting a strong .289 entering Friday night.
Voigt said Reynolds has been victimized by hard luck of late, with a lot of his hard-hit balls finding gloves.
“The tough mental part of this game is understanding the process,” he said. “You get good pitches, put good swings [on the ball]. I saw a lot of his swings, he’s done fine. He just needs to stay positive.”
With a strong, steady bat and reliable glove, Reynolds’ could play in the majors — but one scout who saw him play last month feels his ceiling is as a bench player.
“I think he’s a steady player who makes all the routine plays,” the scout said. “He has no tool that really stands out. He does everything average and in the long run he’s more of a utility player.”
When asked what was the one tool likely to keep Reynolds in the major leagues, the scout said it was his defense.
“He’s a better infielder than Flores,” the scout said. “But an everyday shortstop? I don’t see him as that.”