Mets 2017 season is over, but where do they go from here?

Contract details:

Granderson: $15 million
Walker: $17.2 million
Duda: $7.25 million
Bruce: $13 million

That’s $52.45 million off the books heading into the off-season.  

A look at the 2018 Mets without those four players

Catcher – Travis d’Arnaud*
First base – Empty**
Second base – Amed Rosario?
Shortstop – Asdrubal Cabrera
Third base – Empty**
Outfield – Yoenis Cespedes, Michael Conforto, empty.

There are a lot of question in the infield.  First, Cabrera has a team option for $8.5 million that you have to think the Mets will pick up, which let’s assume they do.

I’m already counting Rosario as an everyday player, which, let’s face it, is a stretch considering he’s yet to play in the majors..  First base I consider empty because you can’t count on Wilmer Flores, T.J. Rivera or Dominic Smith as everyday players.  Can they all platoon at first base? Maybe. But then third-base is open.

If the Mets decide Smith isn’t ready to join the bigs, they can platoon Flores and Rivera at third-base, which would leave a hole at first.

Let’s also not forget catcher, a position the Mets haven’t had consistent production at in forever.

They’ll head into the off-season having to make splashes, either via trade or free-agency, at two players at any of these four positions: catcher, outfield, first base, third base.