Mets manager Luis Rojas will enter his first year at the helm under unusual and challenging circumstances, as Major League Baseball attempts to play a 60-game season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Rojas, who replaced Carlos Beltran after the latter was done in during the fallout from the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal, seemed unfazed by any outside noise when he was introduced over the winter.
And he was similarly unfazed a few months ago when asked how the delay to the season might impact him.
"I haven't paid much attention to what might be lost on a personal level," Rojas said. "I know at some point we're going to play baseball. At some point, I'll have my first game as manager. But this is not the time to let emotions get in the way. It's something we can't control."
With Rojas' first game as manager roughly three weeks away, here are four questions he should answer at his first presser of Summer Camp...
What is your message to the team?
What might ordinarily be a boring response to an unimportant question is anything but this season.
Rojas' message, in this current climate as players police themselves in some ways amid the pandemic, is going to be incredibly important.
GM Brodie Van Wagenen said earlier this week that the team trusts its players to do the right thing and will not put additional restrictions on them.
But it will be important for Rojas to explain to his players what he expects from them both on the field and off as the Mets and all other teams navigate during a pandemic.
How might you manage differently during a 60-game season?
During a season this short for a team that hopes to contend and also has a first-year manager in the dugout, there is going to be immense pressure from day one.
How might Rojas manage differently when taking into account that one small losing streak could doom a season? How long will the leash be for slumping players? What might be different when it comes to in-game decisions on a daily basis?
How do you plan to use Yoenis Cespedes?
The hope is that Cespedes will be ready to DH on Opening Day, and Rojas -- once he speaks to the Mets' training staff -- should be able to give a more detailed answer about the status of Cespedes than Van Wagenen gave earlier this week.
If Cespedes is ready to go, the Mets could have a huge advantage over other NL teams that are adapting to the new DH rule.
Is there a plan for how the 30-man roster will be structured?
The Mets, like most teams, will almost certainly carry extra pitchers at the beginning of the season, but it's not yet clear how things will look on the bench.
Will the Mets carry a third catcher, at least in the early going?
Will they go for speed with Andres Gimenez?