The fourth Outfielder?

John Delcos at The Journal News writes about Cliff Floyd and how secure his starting role is:

Mets manager Willie Randolph said there are no guarantees concerning injured left fielder Cliff Floyd when he is reinstated from the disabled list.

Endy Chavez is providing consistent enough offensive production, and his defense is far superior to Floyd's, so one should not assume that when Floyd returns he will immediately trot out to left field.

"We want to get Cliff going, but we still want to keep getting Endy into games," Randolph said. "A lot depends on how Cliff feels."

Then Randolph said something that was all but an endorsement for Chavez.

"When you get to the postseason you play the hot guys," Randolph said. "And defense is very important, especially in a short series."