New York Mets Roster Battles: 4 Most Intriguing Spring Position Battles

With the Mets’ 2012 opener just 17 days away, the team still has several jobs yet to be determined.

Some of the jobs were up for grabs when the Mets arrived in Port St. Lucie for spring training, and others have opened up since then due to injuries.

Either way, Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins have several important decisions to make before they break camp in a couple of weeks.

Here are the most important.

Starting Second Baseman

Daniel Murphy is the front-runner to be the Mets’ Opening Day second baseman, but his poor fielding at second and tendency to get injured while playing this position could be a problem (Murphy tore his MCL last August trying to turn a double play).

He’s already committed two errors at second base this spring. However, he has eight hits in 25 at-bats in the Grapefruit League for a .320 average while the only real alternative, Justin Turner, is just 5-26 for a .192 average.

Assuming Murphy stays healthy and continues to hit, the Mets are likely to assume the defensive liability at second and start him.

One variable that must be watched, though, is David Wright’s health.

Wright has been out with an abdominal strain and if he is forced to miss Opening Day, expect both Murphy and Turner to be in the Mets’ April 5 lineup at Citi Field, with Murphy at third base and Turner at second.

Backup Catcher

Josh Thole is slated to be the starting catcher, but the backup catcher is likely to play at least 30-40 games in 2012 even if Thole stays healthy, so this is an important position battle to watch.

The favorite for the spot is Mike Nickeas, who played 21 games in 2011 for the Mets, mostly in April and September.

Nickeas hit just .189 in 53 at-bats, although he threw out four of the nine runners who tried to steal bases on him.

The 29-year-old’s inexperience and lack of success at the plate led the Mets to bring in the seasoned Rob Johnson from the Padres during the offseason.

While Johnson is just a .197 career hitter, he does have more experience than Nickeas, so if Johnson performs better than Nickeas in spring training then the veteran could win the spot.

At this point, however, Johnson has done nothing to convince the Mets to bring him north with the team in April. He’s just 2-for-13 this spring, while Nickeas is 5-for-17 (the same as starter Josh Thole).

Johnson could still turn it around, but as of now, expect Nickeas to be the Mets’ backup catcher.

Backup Outfielder

With Scott Hairston out with an oblique injury, the Mets will likely need to open the season with another backup outfielder.

Two players are currently in the running for this job: Mike Baxter and Adam Loewen.

Baxter had 40 at-bats for the Amazins in 2011, hitting .235. He’s playing well this spring, going 8-for-26 for a .308 average while drawing five walks.

Loewen would be an interesting option, since he was a pitcher as recently as 2008 with the Orioles when he made four major league starts.

He then took the “Rick Ankiel route,” converting to an outfielder, and has done very well.

He spent the last three years in the Blue Jays’ system, where he excelled. In 2011, he played for the Jays’ Triple-A team in Las Vegas, hitting .306 with 17 home runs.

Loewen’s kept up his hot hitting this spring, with a .333 average and a homer.

As long as he keeps hitting, it will be difficult for Alderson and Collins to send Loewen to the minors.

Bullpen Lefty

Tim Byrdak will be out for about six weeks after undergoing knee surgery, so the Mets are searching for a left-handed reliever to replace him.

Chuck James and Garrett Olson are the front-runners in camp, but the Mets are also considering signing free agent C.J. Nitkowski, who has not pitched in the majors since 2005.

Neither James nor Olson has pitched much this spring, but James has struggled when he’s been on the mound, allowing six hits and three earned runs in just 3.1 innings pitched. Olson, on the other hand, has only allowed two base runners in 3.2 innings.

This is a wide open race, but if the Mets bring in Nitkowski, one would think it would be to pitch on their major league roster.

With so many decisions still to be made at Mets camp before the season starts, it’s going to be a busy 17 days for Alderson and Collins.