Mets need to find out what they have in Cecchini

Second base is a huge question mark for the Mets after 2017

Neil Walker isn’t under contract beyond this season, and the Mets should seriously consider trading him when he returns from his injury.

This is why they need to start Gavin Cecchini every day.

The Mets are probably not going anywhere in 2017, so they really have nothing to lose by playing their young guys.

With where the team is at, it makes little sense to play somebody at second base who will not be on the team next year.

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If Cecchini plays every day, the Mets will better be able to decide if they want him as their starting second baseman going into next season.

2018 will be a new season, and this team will still have a lot of talent.

Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith will likely be on the Opening Day roster, Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto are going nowhere, and the starting rotation will still be intact, unless the Jacob deGrom is actually dealt to a contender.

The team has the potential to be competitive in 2018, so they need to find out what Cecchini can do as a major leaguer. The only way to do that is to start him every day.

Cecchini was drafted by the organization 12th overall back in the 2012 MLB Draft. In his minor league career, the 23-year-old has posted a .282 batting average and a .348 on-base percentage over 1,989 at-bats.

In two brief stints with the big league club, he has hit .300 with a homer (against Clayton Kershaw no less) and two doubles in 20 at-bats.

He was sent back to AAA Las Vegas when Asdrubal Cabrera was activated from the disabled list on Friday.

The team plans to start Cabrera at second base for now so that Jose Reyes can play shortstop. But Cabrera isn’t going to be on this team next year either. In fact, he probably won’t be on the team at the end of this season.

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Cabrera, who is not happy about being moved to second base, has asked to be traded. A trade involving him would give the team the perfect opportunity to play Cecchini every day.