MIAMI — Another Yoenis Cespedes probably is not walking through the door between now and Aug. 1, so the players you saw on the field and in the dugout Friday night for the Mets need to figure out a solution from within.
Last year was different. The Mets were sputtering offensively, trying to make a run at the wide-open NL East using a lineup that often included the likes of Eric Campbell, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Kevin Plawecki, Danny Muno and other minor league players yet to prove themselves at the next level.
In the 2016 lineup, you see pieces that should fit nicely, but simply haven’t produced as expected, whether it has been Michael Conforto’s step backward, Neil Walker’s extended slump or the mixed results the Mets have gotten at third base, before and after David Wright was lost for the season.