4 bold Mets predictions for the 2022 season

Bold Mets prediction: At least one of the three free agent starting position players loses a lot of playing time

Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, and Mark Canha are the three new offensive players on the Mets roster. Will they last all 162 games as regulars at their position? Not this year.

This threesome brings a lot of experience to the Mets lineup. However, each is already entering their mid-30s and one is bound to slow down.

Marte seems unlikely to see his playing time reduce due to his contract. Escobar is making the least amount of money and the Mets have some options at third base. For Canha, we could always see a platoon situation develop between him and someone like Dominic Smith out in left field.

After the last few seasons and seeing the Mets miss on free agents, at least one of these guys is bound to have a disappointing season. None have been consistent All-Stars throughout his career. With even some of the greats putting together a sloppy year every so often, it’s not so outrageous to expect one of these additions to be a bust.

If it’s Escobar, we could expect to see Brett Baty or Mark Vientos promoted. If it’s Canha who struggles and ends up on the bench more often, Smith or J.D. Davis or even Baty or Vientos could see action in left field. There’s always the possibility of moving a few others around or making a trade deadline acquisition.

The Mets need to be mindful about putting the best team on the field regardless of payroll. Unfortunately, one of these three will not perform well enough to keep his everyday job.