Inbox: Will Wright or Reyes play third?

The new year is upon us, with plenty for the Mets still to do. Now that teams around Major League Baseball are back from their holiday breaks, the Mets’ offseason agenda should kick into high gear. Atop their list? A trade of Jay Bruce and the acquisition of at least one reliever.

In the meantime, here is another batch of questions and answers to open 2017:

Jose Reyes and David Wright will be an interesting situation at third base. We all love the captain, but I like Reyes at the top of the lineup. Thoughts? –@CraigS_5 via Twitter

You’re not alone there, Craig. Manager Terry Collins also likes Reyes atop the lineup, batting him there every time he played the veteran last season. And Reyes proved he’s still an adept hitter capable of stealing more than a few bases.

• Submit a question to the Mets Inbox

The issue here is not Reyes versus Wright; if Wright is healthy, he will be the starting third baseman, playing four or five times per week at the position. The challenge, then, becomes how best to get Reyes into the lineup on those days, because the Mets really do lack alternatives. Curtis Granderson has been competent as a leadoff hitter, but not an ideal answer there.

So look for Reyes to start nearly every day somewhere. Assuming Wright is healthy, that means a game or two per week at third base, perhaps a few at second base against left-handed pitchers, and some at shortstop to give Asdrubal Cabrera rest. In that fashion, Reyes could crack the lineup four or five times per week, which seems like an ideal situation for the Mets.

The wild card here is Reyes’ ability to play the outfield. The Mets seem serious about trying him there this spring. If he takes to it, that’s one more avenue for playing time.

I noticed Cabrera playing only second base in winter ball. Is …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com