The Mets have long struggled with infield defense, culminating in last year's all-around disaster. Between all four spots, they totaled an incredible -68 defensive runs saved (roughly equivalent to losing seven games more than they would have with average defense) -- a mark double that of the second worst team.
No position was better than -10 defensive runs saved, with shortstop taking the cake at -24. There was no place to go but up and thankfully, with some new faces and some positional changes, the Mets should be in line for a big step forward.
Asdrubal Cabrera was one of the worst offenders in 2017 and while he's the only starter returning, he should benefit considerably from a positional change.