I agree, you could tell by the moves they got to acquire Cano and sign Lowrie that they weren't 100% sold on McNeil and Alonso coming into this season, and to a lesser extent, Rosario. Especially with Lowrie, he was going to be an everyday utility player, playing 3rd, short and 2nd depending on whether the kids played well or someone needed a day off, etc. Turns out all three of those young players have been excellent and guys you want in the lineup every day. I especially remember all the fretting over Alonso's defensive ability during the winter and spring training, and even though people around the Mets talked about he's undeniable hitting talent, they always seemed to be too hung up on the fielding. He's no Keith Hernandez but their evaluations of their own players honestly are a cause for concern. They weren't confident about these guys in the beginning to really commit to them. Plus they have guys in their organization who are talented hitters but don't seem to have a position with the team anymore because there's no DH (yet) in the NL. JD Davis can hit but isn't a good or even average left fielder. Dom Smith hit this year but he's a first baseman and that's Alonso's job now, and Smith didn't look too good in left field either.
