PORT ST. LUCIE – Jeff McNeil’s hat-trick to play third base on Sunday – he also made a foul and a foul on a missed catch – gave a reminder of why the Mets removed him from the position last season.
Uncomfortable mostly with throwing, McNeil moved to left field in 2020 and also performed at second base behind Robinson Cano. With Cano suspended for the entire season after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing agent for the second time, McNeil is essentially the second baseman. But there are also questions about whether JD Davis is a full-time third man, and the manager, Luis Rojas, leaves late to try different options this spring.
‘We believe in [McNeil’s] ability to play third, but if you want to rank his positions, I know he was used more than second base and even on the left field, but he has looked good at third base in the past, ”said Rojas after the Mets and Marlins on a 4 -4 exhibit tie at Clover Park. “I know we can go back to last year when he struggled a bit in third place, but we believe he can play there.”
The more likely Plan B on third base, according to Rojas, is Jonathan Villar, who smashed a three-run homer as the opening second full-back. Veteran Villar arrived on a $ 3.55 million one-year contract this season, giving the Mets a true backup, behind Francisco Lindor, as well as someone who can play second and third.
Villar, who has not played a third base since 2016, started in a game last week and is still building up representatives during training sessions. Villar can also occasionally turn up in the outfield, where he has played sparingly in his career.
“They paid me the money, so if they need my outfield, I’ll go there,” Villar said. ‘No matter what position they want me to play, I’ll be ready to play anything. If they want me to play catcher, I’ll do it. ‘
Team officials like Davis’ earlier play at third base. One notable adjustment was the repositioning not to play so deep, which reduced his chances of being beaten in front of him on a slow basis.
But the Mets may also want to find opportunities for Villar’s left-handed bat and see third base as the best option.
“He’s going to get more exposure in third place in the camp than McNeil will get 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 play third early in camp and we might see him again. ”
While an argument can be made that McNeil would be best served just by concentrating on the second base, there is much value in versatility.
‘Spring training is for that and just to give [McNeil] a little more exposure and to make sure he feels comfortable and he clicks back into position, but I believe he can play there, ‘said Rojas.
McNeil’s chances of playing outside can be limited by the addition of Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora Jr. In addition, the lack of a universal DH indicates that Dominic Smith will mostly start in the left field. But expect McNeil to get chances on the left before the camp closes, as well as at least take another look at the third.
“We want to see the combinations,” Rojas said. ‘We want to see the different positions and what the guys there look like. It’s a win-win every day. We did not play a good defense today, but you can learn a lot from this and it can definitely tell you what to work on. ‘