Mets: Three burning questions that need answering this spring

2 of 4

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 20: J.D. Davis #28 of the New York Mets in action against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field on September 20, 2020 in New York City. Atlanta Braves defeated the New York Mets 7-0. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

1) Who will be playing third base for the New York Mets?

One of the biggest questions that have followed the Mets since the acquisition of shortstop Francisco Lindor has been who will be playing third base beside him on the left side of the infield? Many had speculated the Mets front office getting involved in the Nolan Arenado bidding, or when that opportunity passed potentially making a play for Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant.

To this point in the offseason, there has not been a blockbuster acquisition for a third baseman and many would presume the favorite to this point would be incumbent third baseman J.D. Davis. While I’m aware that Davis is not the most defensively sound or the “sexiest” third base option compared to the names above, Davis can still be a competent option for the Mets at third.

While Davis had a bit of a down season offensively in 2020 with his .247/.371/.389 slash line after his breakout 2019 campaign, it’s unfair to solely judge an abbreviated sample size in 2020 where many players struggled offensively. Among all third basemen in 2019, Davis would’ve placed among the top ten third basemen in all of baseball with his .895 OPS which signifies his offensive potential that still exists despite a rough shortened season.

However, the front office and Manager Luis Rojas have given mixed signals at various times on Davis being the Mets starting third baseman, especially with the signing of utility man Jonathan Villar who may see some starts at third base. There is also the option of Rojas moving Jeff McNeil to third base on some days or having Luis Guillorme make starts as well.

This is one of the more interesting areas to monitor during Spring Training, as the Mets could potentially still make a potential additional move at third base should the front office not like what they see on the field. It’s vital for J.D. Davis to have a great spring or he may become even more of an afterthought as a Major League caliber third baseman in the current regime’s eyes.