The New York Mets’ ‘To-Do List’ before Spring Training arrives

New York Mets’ pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on February 13, but general manager Sandy Alderson still has work to do.

New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson has made a lot of moves and non-moves this offseason that have shaped a strong roster heading into 2017.

The seemingly improbable contractual satisfaction achieved with star slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is a big enough accomplishment on its own, but Alderson also made the crucially important move of not trading last season’s deadline prize in Jay Bruce away for anything he didn’t deem worth it.

Alderson was also smart enough to realize that injuries significantly hampered a seriously strong roster in 2016, and therefore he didn’t make any unnecessary moves that would negatively affect cap space or clubhouse morale.

But even with all the positivity that has emanated from Queens since the Mets’ National League Wild Card loss to Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants, Alderson still has to make some decisions to keep his organization in serious contention for the 2017 World Series title.

So without further ado, here is the Mets’ ‘To-Do List’ before the inception of Spring Training 2017.

Trade Curtis Granderson

Of course, Curtis Granderson has been a major part of the Mets’ success since his signing with the franchise in 2014. But he’ll be 36-years-old come mid-March, and 2017 will be the final year of his deal, paying him $15 million in the process.

And it’s also true that he’s the only member of the outfield that has a power bat and can handle center field. But keeping him for all of 2017 could be a – as President Trump would say – huge mistake.

Granderson experienced literally MLB-record drop-offs last season, including tying St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Jedd Gyorko for the lowest RBI total in a 30 home run season in major league history at just 59. Much of that startling statistic is due to a .152 average with runners in scoring position, including just three extra-base hits – one of which was a homer – in those situations.

The Mets have the experienced talent behind Grandy to fill his possible void in center, with the likes of 2014 Gold Glove winner Juan Lagares and up-and-comer Michael Conforto there ready to take over. That lefty-righty duo would be more than capable of a solid platoon-type situation, with Conforto showing he’s able to handle center field last season.

The return for a reportedly in demand player like Granderson would be welcome in helping a section of the team that will be detailed coming up next.

Beef up that bullpen

The Mets have reportedly begun to show more interest in 2016’s stalwart southpaw Jerry Blevins, as earlier names linked to Alderson’s liking have either been signed or faded away. But the fact remains that star closer Jeurys Familia is likely to be suspended around 30 games, with setup man Addison Reed appearing to be the team’s current replacement at sandman.

Beyond Reed though, the Mets’ bullpen roster is pretty weak and inconsistent, with the only other arm of significance currently standing as Hansel Robles. But Robles is no slouch, as the power righty produced a solid 3.48 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 77.2 innings pitched in 2016. Righty and 2015 standout Erik Goeddel also figures to receive a serious shot in Spring Training to break camp in Queens.

But beyond that duo – and with the lefties in general – things don’t look good without Blev there. The Joshes in Smoker and Edgin have occasionally been impressive in their short sets of MLB appearances, but they don’t appear to nearly be able to stand alone as lefty specialists.

So if the reported mutual interest between Blevins and Alderson is, in fact, real, the Mets need to make it happen as soon as possible. His 2.79 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 42 innings will be obviously and sorely missed in 2017 if the lanky lefty isn’t triumphantly brought back sooner rather than later.

Don’t trade Jay Bruce, even for the ‘right’ offer

Mr. Bruce is someone that, regardless of what fans think, the Mets shouldn’t live without. It could be argued that his work in August last year is enough to send him away from New York and dismiss him as another player who can’t play in the Big Apple, but a slumped month in baseball is not enough to make that assumption.

Bruce’s last month of the season showed that he’s very important to completing a lineup that has needed some extra pop for some time. During the finale of 2016, he hit .263/.333/.513 with six home runs and 13 RBIs.

The Mets have found many trade offers for the former Cincinnati Red, mostly amounting to lower level prospects and relief arms like Brad Brach of the Baltimore Orioles. But even the 2.05 ERA of Brach shouldn’t be enough to hand over the prolific, 30-home run bat of Bruce.

The Mets have recently said that as the market stands right now, there are no suitable offers for Bruce, meaning they are accepting him as the starting right fielder for the foreseeable future into 2017. This is the right move, especially considering Bruce’s batting ability when he has lineup protection such as Cespedes – just as he did with Joey Votto in Cincinnati.

Find time for Conforto

Conforto could be the somehow unseen star of the Mets in 2017, but he needs playing time in order to gain that title, or more.

By now, Mets fans know how good Conforto can be, after hitting .270 with nine home runs during his first ever professional season in 2015. But ’16 held quite the sophomore slump, as he was dropped down to the minors last June. He did rip apart Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .422 average in 33 games, but that doesn’t count in the mind of Alderson.

He never even nearly recovered during the rest of his time in Queens after his call-up, but with that beautiful lefty swing of his, along with his ability to hit to the opposite field, the sky is the limit for the former Oregon State Beaver.

Where Conforto could find that time has yet to be seen, but there are some obvious places of opportunity.

Lucas Duda has been an extremely inconsistent first baseman since he captured the full starting role in 2014. Conforto, as a southpaw, would fit right into that hole, with his athleticism perhaps making him a plus-defender – something Duda doesn’t remotely come near to profiling as.

But as was spoken of earlier, Conforto did get some time in center field last season, playing acceptably, while even making a diving catch there. But Granderson pretty clearly blocks that road now – yet another reason to trade the Grandy-man away.

Don’t rush the starters back

Steven Matz. Matt Harvey. Jacob deGrom. Zack Wheeler.

What do they have in common? They’re all returning from injuries of varying severities – but injuries nonetheless.

Mets manager Terry Collins has been known to overuse his starting and relief arms during his time in New York, but if he wants his roster to have success in 2017, he must make rest time a real priority.

Matz is coming off a second straight injury shortened campaign, and is appearing more frail after every disabled list trip he requires.

Harvey made a triumphant return in 2015 after missing 2014 due to Tommy John surgery. But the 209 combined innings he threw that year appeared to do more harm to his right arm than good, as he was never himself in 2016, with another injury being the root cause.

deGrom pitched like the deGrominator fans know for most of 2016, but things always seemed a bit off. That suspicion was confirmed late in September when a pinched ulnar nerve was found in his throwing elbow, leading to offseason surgery.

And Wheeler is the worst case of all, as his rumored return was to be before the 2016 All-Star break after spending 2015 in TJ recovery himself. But that return never happened after the former first round pick threw just one rehab inning at High-A St. Lucie.

If Alderson and Collins want to keep their world-class rotation intact, smart decisions regarding their health will need to be made – and the planning should begin now. The duo at the head of the Mets need to remember the now relatively proven arms of Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo they have waiting in the wings whenever they need them.

A six-man rotation should not be ruled out, as Gsellman and Lugo more than provide the depth to make that happen. Wheeler has been apparently considered for a bullpen role to wean him back into a major league season – an intelligent idea that would solve both the rotation issue and strengthen the bullpen.