Skip’s pitch to Harv: Don’t be super hero

ORLANDO — Mickey Callaway did not call up Matt Harvey and ask for the Dark Knight. The Mets new manager, speaking on SNY, Monday night said that he isn’t looking for the 2013 All-Star version of Matt Harvey.

“I think that’s the key, to make sure you’re not trying to get him back to anything. You want him to be the Matt Harvey he is today. But you want to get the most potential out of who he is,” Callaway said. “Some guys never throw with the same velo. We had Ubaldo Jimenez in Cleveland and he never threw 100 again, but we got some good innings out of him because we attacked the necessary areas and we accepted who he was. We don’t need the Dark Knight, we need Matt Harvey to be Matt Harvey on a daily basis and be comfortable with who he is.”

To that effort, Sandy Alderson said Monday that Callaway and new pitching coach Dave Eiland are already working with Mets pitchers on their offseason workouts. The Mets GM knows that no matter what happens this offseason, that the 2018 season all hinges on getting that pitching healthy and back on track.

“It’s the strength of our team. If we end up with the same problems with the pitching this year we had last year, it’s not gonna happen we’re not gonna be competitive,” Alderson said at the first day of the annual GM meetings at the Waldorf Astoria in Disney. “That’s not a matter of crossing our fingers, that’s what can we do this offseason in spring training early in the season what can we do to give ourselves the best possible shot in quality pitching.”

Alderson arrived Monday needing a middle-of-the order bat, one that can play the outfield and first base, as well as a reliever, a second baseman and possibly a starting pitcher.

That’s a lot of holes to fill with not much cash to work with.

Alderson would not say what his 2018 Opening Day target payroll is, but he has said before it is unlikely it will be as high as the $154.4 million in 2017. With about $120 million already committed Alderson is going to have to be very creative to manage that offseason wish list.

He does think the Mets have some possible trade chips in their system to work with and this week he will be testing the waters.

The Mets front office is also expected to meet with agents for the first time this week.

Two names mentioned for the possible second base job are familiar names in Jose Reyes and Neil Walker. Alderson also said that while Jay Bruce had shown that he could be that outfielder/first base, big-bat combo they are looking for to put in the middle of their lineup — and accommodate for when Michael Conforto is eventually ready to return from his shoulder injury — he is not the only option. Bruce is looking for a lucrative multi-year deal, which seems to push him out of the Mets’ realm.

“I don’t think we’re the first team out of the box, but we’re here to try to gauge the market and where we think it will go and what will be available to us,” Alderson said.

While Alderson is one to wait and see how the market shakes out, one thing the Mets cannot wait on is getting their pitching back on track.

Like Harvey, who is coming off two major surgeries in the last four years, Zack Wheeler, Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard will all be coming off seasons ruined by injuries. The Mets revamped their medical staff this fall and will be more proactive about communicating with the players, Alderson said.

“I think there will be a littlebetter real-time knowledge of what they are doing (this offseason), and the ability to respond and take corrective measure,” Alderson said. “It will be the pitching coach, manager, medical staff. It’s going to be a group effort I think we will be much more successful.”