PORT ST. LUCIE – Jeff McNeil’s hat trick playing Sunday at third base – made a pitching and throwing error in addition to another missed catch – provided a reminder of why the Mets eliminated him from position last season.
Uncomfortable especially with throws, McNeil moved to the left field in 2020 and saw action at second base, behind Robinson Cano. With Cano suspended for the rest of the season after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug for the second time, McNeil ranks first as second baseman. But there are also questions about whether JD Davis is a full-time third baseman, leaving manager Luis Rojas to try different options this spring.
“We believe in [McNeil’s] the ability to play third, but if you want to rank his positions, I know he’s more acclimatized to playing second base and even left field, but he looked good at third base in the past, “Rojas said after the Mets and Marlins they played in the 4 -4 exhibition tie at Clover Park. “I know we can go back to last year, when he fought a little and the third, but we think he can play there.”
Plan B most likely at third base, according to Rojas, is Jonathan Villar, who destroyed a three-run homer as the second starting base. Veteran Villar arrived in the offseason with a $ 3.55 million one-year contract, giving the Mets a real backup shortstop, behind Francisco Lindor, as well as someone who can play second and second. third.
Villar, who did not play third base in 2016, started on the position in a game last week and continues to accumulate repetitions during the preliminary exercises. Villar could also take an occasional turn in the field, where he played fashionably in his career.
“They paid me the money, so if they need me to play off the field, I’ll go out there,” Villar said. “Regardless of the position they want to play, I will be ready to play anything. If they want to play catcher, I’ll do it. ”
Team officials liked Davis’ early play at third base. A visible adjustment was his repositioning, so that he did not play as deep, reducing his chances of being beaten on the slow pitches in front of him.
But the Mets may also want to find opportunities for Villar’s left-handed bat and see third base as the best option.
“He will have more exposure to third in the camp than McNeil will have in the camp,” Rojas said. “[Villar] and JD will be the two who play the most at third base and we want to see Mac early in camp playing third and we might see him again. ”
Although it could be argued that McNeil would be best served by focusing only on the second base, there is value for versatility.
“Spring training is for that and only to offer [McNeil] a little more exposure and to make sure he feels comfortable and clicks back into position, but I think he can play there, ”Rojas said.
McNeil’s chances of playing off the field could be restricted by the additions of Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora Jr. In addition, the lack of a universal DH signals that Dominic Smith will most often start in the left field. But expect McNeil to have a chance on the left before the end of the camp, as well as at least another look at the third.
“We want to see the combinations,” Rojas said. “We want to see the different positions and what the boys look like there. It’s a win-win every day. I didn’t play a good defense today, but you can learn a lot from this and it can definitely tell you where to work. ”