How these 3 NY Mets non-roster invitees can win a trip onto the Opening Day roster

2) Mike Tauchman will need to outshine Carson Benge and maybe a few others, too

Mike Tauchman is clever Carson Benge insurance in right field to begin the year. Forget MJ Melendez. Tauchman is the more proven guy who should get the at-bats if Benge doesn’t make the team.

Will the Mets think differently? They might. With Tauchman on a minor league deal, there are only so many roster spots they can hand out. Tauchman will need to outplay Benge, but also several of the other outfield options for the Mets.

Tauchman will need a lot to swing his way to make the Mets roster out of camp. One unrelated to the positions he’ll play is for Francisco Lindor to be healthy. If Lindor is on the IL, someone like Vidal Brujan feels more likely to make the team.

A world does exist where Tauchman and Benge can co-exist, but finding a way to split the playing time becomes difficult with both swinging from the left side.

How about this: Lindor does begin the year on the IL. Brett Baty moves to third base. Bo Bichette goes to shortstop. Tauchman helps fill out a bench consisting of him, Luis Torrens, Tyrone Taylor, and any number of other players like Brujan, Grae Kessinger, Jackson Cluff, etc. In this scenario, Tauchman becomes a right field consideration and also a platoon partner alongside Mark Vientos against tougher righties.

The Tauchman addition seems to be one of the more fun Mets signings to evaluate because of all of the different possibilities.