Alderson: Mets 'needed to' release Tejada

New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson cited the team's glut of middle infielders as the impetus behind releasing Ruben Tejada on Wednesday.

"If you assume that (Asdrubal) Cabrera's going to be healthy soon - which I think is definitely our assumption - then having both (Wilmer) Flores and Tejada on the bench makes it difficult to carry what else we think we need," Alderson said, per Newsday's Marc Carig.

"This is a move we felt we needed to make."

New York stacked its infield in the offseason with the acquisitions of Cabrera - who's sidelined with a knee issue - and Neil Walker, along with Flores' return. Tejada, Cabrera, and Flores can all play multiple infield positions, which may have conspired to ultimately squeeze Tejada out of playing time.

The 26-year-old slashed .261/.338/.350 over 116 games for the Mets last season, while spending time at shortstop, third base, and second base. He appeared to be healthy this spring after having his leg broken by Chase Utley during the National League Division Series.