METS’ NEXT MOVE

Nunez could give Mets athleticism & a leadoff hitter

With Bruce back in fold, Amazin’s could use versatile infielder Nunez to fill next hole

During many an off-the-record chat at his locker, Alex Rodriguez loved to play fantasy GM and tell me what he’d do if he were in charge. And the one guy he was always insisting should play more was Eduardo Nunez.

A-Rod loved his athleticism and his bat to the point that, when there was no room in the Yankees’ All-Star infield several years ago, he thought Nunez should be the everyday left fielder.

“The kid is going to be a dynamic offensive player,” A-Rod would say.

I bring it up because Nunez has started to make good on that prediction the last couple of seasons, especially after being traded to the Red Sox last summer, and, more to the point, I think he’s exactly what the Mets need now.

After all, the Jay Bruce signing gives them power, but they desperately need at least a little bit of speed and athleticism if they’re going to be anything but an all-ornothing offense. As always, they remain in need of a leadoff hitter.

For the moment, though, let’s at least acknowledge that by signing Bruce it seems the Mets are making good on what their people told me last week, that they intended to spend and were focused on finding value in a slow-moving free-agent market.

And indeed, by bringing Bruce back at a bargain price, three years and $39 million, they’ve bought themselves at least some measure of goodwill in this offseason of fan outrage, but only if there is more to come.

It’s not a sexy move, but it’s an important one in that Bruce gives the Mets some

needed thump in the lineup and showed last year he can handle first base well enough to offer protection there in case Dom Smith doesn’t hit.

Ideally they’d be better off with Michael Conforto in right field, but he has shown more athleticism and outfield instincts than anyone expected, so I think he can be adequate in center for at least a couple of years.

And, look, I can make a case that they still need Mike Moustakas, Lance Lynn, Jonathan Lucroy and Addison Reed, and also that the Mets should have the financial wherewithal to make those moves, but with Bruce on board I do think they can contend next season without making a big-splash move.

It’s going to come down to the health of their starting pitching, no matter what else they do, which is why I’ve been campaigning for Lynn to give them some certainty among all the uncertainty that comes with Steven Matz, Zack Wheeler and Matt Harvey.

But the point is that if Mickey Callaway, who is bringing some important injuryprevention methodology with him from the tech-savvy Indians’ organization, has the impact on the pitching the Mets expect, there’s a legitimate chance this team can compete with the Nationals for the division title again.

They still need at least a couple of solid additions, though, most notably the second or third baseman they’ve talked about since November.

And at this point, with Bruce back to provide a middle-of-the-order bat, I think Nunez is the guy who makes the most sense. The Mets have talked to Todd Frazier about a short-term deal, likely two years, and he would provide more power, but is that a priority now?

The Mets, remember, ranked ninth in the NL in runs scored last season, despite ranking first in home runs, along with the Brewers, hitting 224 dingers. Meanwhile, they were last in the NL with 58 stolen bases, and 24 of them came from Jose Reyes.

Reyes, however, will be 35 in June, and Nunez is a younger, better version of him, turning 31 this summer. Last season, Nunez hit .313 with 33 doubles, 12 home runs and 24 stolen bases in only 114 games.

His OPS for the season was .801, and Nunez thrived in the pennant-race pressure with the Red Sox, hitting .321 with a difference-making .892 OPS during his two months in Boston, while playing second base at times, third at others.

“He sparked them, no doubt,” says an AL scout for one of the other playoff teams who was assigned to the Red Sox down the stretch. “He got some big hits and he just seemed to energize that offense when they needed it.

“To be honest, I’m not sure they would have held off the Yankees without him.”

The question, of course, is how much it would cost, and the way this market is developing, it’s possible the Mets could get him on a two-year deal for, say, $20-$24 million.

That’s more than they would have to pay Reyes, who probably would come back on a bargain one-year deal because he wants to finish his career in New York, but if it makes the Mets significantly better, it would be a very reasonable deal.

They’re not going to get Neil Walker for less than that, and it’s similar to what they’d be paying Josh Harrison if they get him in a trade from the Pirates.

Bottom line, if the Mets aren’t willing to make at least another Nunez-like move, and probably something else as well, any goodwill they’ve generated will evaporate before the ink dries on Bruce’s

contract.