Outfield needs sorting out
Notable spring face uOF Curtis Granderson: With Yoenis Cespedes back and Jay Bruce still on the roster after an offseason full of trade rumors, the Mets have too many corner outfielders and not enough playing time to go around. At 23, Michael Conforto presents more long-term upside to the Mets than Bruce, who’s a limited defender in the final year of his contract. But the logjam likely means Conforto will start the year in the minors and soon-to-be 36-year-old Granderson will slide back to center field.
Granderson played 36 games in center for the Mets in 2016 and fared surprisingly well, considering he hadn’t played the toughest outfield position on a full-time basis since 2012. But for a club built on pitching, an everyday outfield with Bruce in right could prove nightmarish defensively if Granderson can’t cover enough ground. Unless the Mets trade or bench Bruce before opening day, Granderson will need to show that he can do so. Burning question Can the pitchers stay healthy?
Of their group of young aces, only Noah Syndergaard stayed healthy for the full 2016 season. But even Syndergaard, whom Terry Collins named as his opening-day starter, pitched with a bone spur, albeit a small one, in his elbow last year.
Meanwhile, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Steven Matz finished the campaign on the shelf because of season-ending arm surgeries, and while all are healthy in the early days of camp, all represent question marks to some extent. Zack Wheeler, who missed the 2015 and 2016 seasons after Tommy John elbow surgery and ensuing complications, will see limited innings if and when he returns to the rotation in 2017, meaning 23-year-old Robert Gsellman should have plenty of starting opportunities. — Ted Berg