Luis Guillorme has said that winning a Gold Glove Award is the one personal accolade he most wants to achieve in his career, and now the Mets’ super sub may have a chance at one as early as this year.
Rawlings announced Tuesday that it will add to the defensive award this year to recognize utility players, and Guillmore — who has thrived at multiple infield positions this season for the Mets — believes it’s about time.
“I think it’s great. I think it’s a long time coming,” Guillorme said before starting at second base Tuesday night against the Cubs at Citi Field. “And it’s not just me. There’s been guys doing it and doing it well for the past few years, so it’s something that had to be done eventually, in my opinion.”
There remains some confusion whether Guillorme, who recently returned from a four-week stint on the injured list, will be eligible to win the award because he entered Tuesday with 649 ²/₃ defensive innings over 77 infield appearances this season. That figure is below the existing requirement of playing at least 713 innings over a team’s first 141 games, but Rawlings did not specify in its announcement a minimum innings requirement for a utility player’s eligibility.
“If you’re a utility guy you’re not going to have enough innings. Think about it, you’re a utility infielder because you’re versatile and can play a lot of places,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “I know there’s gotta be some minimum, but they almost got this right.”
Jeff McNeil is another candidate from the Mets with just four errors this season over more than 1,000 defensive innings, mostly at second base (763 innings) and left field (247). He also has played 28 innings in right field — where he started Tuesday — and one at third base.
The 27-year-old Guillorme had committed three errors through Tuesday over 77 defensive games this season at second base (447 ²/₃ innings), third base (160) and shortstop (42).
“I think that’s the way baseball is nowadays where every team has one guy that’s pretty much out there pretty much every day playing different positions. So it should have happened a while ago,” Guillorme said. “I think it’s a role you get used to after a while. You learn what you have to do to be prepared for each day, wherever you’re gonna be.
“As long as it keeps me in there playing, it doesn’t matter to me where I’m at. It is what it is.”
Earlier this season, Showalter had stumped for such an addition to the Gold Glove and to the All-Star team, stressing the role’s value in the game.
“It’s a great recognition, it should be on the All-Star team, too. It is a position. Try winning without ’em,” Showalter added Tuesday. “It’s allowed us to do things that some other clubs can’t do. And not have a drop-off in level of play, necessarily and one of the reasons we’ve been able to give some guys some time off the field.
“Name a really good championship club and somebody is gonna be that guy. In fairness, everybody will have somebody that they’re gonna say ‘Oh, it’s this guy.’ But I can’t imagine Luis not being in the top of that discussion.”
