1 NY Mets player who has eased our concerns, 1 who has raised new ones

It's no secret that the New York Mets have some holes. As good of an offseason as they had, there are still question marks heading into the season. Deep into spring training, the answers to some of these questions may become more apparent. With a team that has so many uncertainties, who has become less of a concern this spring? Who has become more of one?

Clay Holmes emerges as someone whose spring training performance has lowered Mets fans' initial uncertainty around him.

Fans were, and still are, rightfully concerned about the signing of Clay Holmes. How are the Mets going to turn an All-Star reliever who struggled down the stretch into an effective starter? These concerns are still alive, but Holmes' performance has certainly eased them. So far this spring, in 14 innings pitched, Holmes has kept to a 1.29 ERA, allowing just five hits and two earned runs. His sinker and new changeup have proven effective as he has struck out 15 batters, as well.

The biggest hurdle will be developing Holmes to be able to pitch more innings. He has the stuff to be an effective starter, but duration is just as important. Fans will not be satisfied until they can see him pitch in regular season games, but his early success is certainly a good sign for his development in the role. Holmes has certainly eased concerns, but along with that, there's a player who has raised some new ones this spring.

In 16 plate appearances so far this spring Brandon Nimmo is slashing just .231/.375/.308. Before two recent hits he was slashing .111/.333/.111. That, to say the least, is not very good.

Now, of course, poor spring training stats at the plate shouldn't usually be of concern (take Cubs' Kyle Tucker for example - he should be just fine), but when it's someone like Brandon Nimmo -- a typically strong hitter coming off a down year where his second half OPS was just .596 -- it raises an eyebrow.

Last year, Nimmo hit 23 home runs with 90 RBI. The 23 homers were the second-most of his career, and the 90 RBI set a career high. The issue, however, was that Nimmo's second half was brutal. In 61 games after the All-Star break, he slashed just .190/.277/.319. His poor second half was noticeable, resulting in frustrating moments at the plate where he failed to come up in various clutch moments.

Even Nimmo's first half last season can be enough to raise some concerns. From April to May he slashed .215/.350/.380, mediocre numbers that were saved by 23 games in June in which he slashed .315/.406/.598. Would Nimmo's season have been even worse if not for that stretch in June last year?

As it is spring training, everything must be taken with a grain of salt. There is no guarantee Nimmo isn't just going through a weird spring slump and won't be completely fine by Opening Day, but considering his brutal stretches last season, his subpar performance this spring is certainly a worrying sign that it will carry over into his age-32 season.