Buck Showalter says Jeff McNeil will get 'bulk' of playing time at second base, discusses Robinson Cano plan

The Mets are set at shortstop with Francisco Lindor and set at first base with Pete Alonso. Eduardo Escobar can play third base and second base, but prefers third. That leaves second as the "open" spot, and manager Buck Showalter shed light on the plan during his daily talk with reporters on Tuesday.

Asked whether second base would be split evenly between Jeff McNeil and Robinson Cano, Showalter said McNeil would get the bulk of the time there.

"I don't think it'll be split," Showalter said. "I think (McNeil) will get the majority there. I know where Robbie is physically ... As gung-ho as he is right now, you can tell he doesn't want to mess it up and get set back."

Cano, 39, missed all of last season after his second PED suspension. He played some winter ball, and reported to spring training a few days ago.

"We think there's a potential for him to play some first base if needed," Showalter said about Cano. "Wouldn't put him in the outfield. It's good to hear that (McNeil) is capable of playing out there. In fact, there's some people that think he plays pretty well out there."

As far as McNeil, while Showalter said the plan is for him to play second base most days and touched on his ability to play the outfield, he's also an option at third base.

"From what I'm told, he plays pretty well out there (in the outfield). But I want 'em both focusing at second," Showalter said. "Robbie, I think Robbie knows that he's not gonna play second base every day for us -- as much as he wants to. He knows that. We hope that he's not a pure DH, either."

As far as the Mets' plans at DH, they have numerous options aside from Cano.

The most obvious choices are the lefty-hitting Dominic Smith and righty-hitting J.D. Davis, though neither player has traditional righty/lefty splits, making a platoon a tricky proposition in the event Cano isn't the regular DH.

There's also the possibility that the Mets use the DH spot to rest Alonso's legs occasionally (though he's against being a full-time DH and has proven through his improved defense that he deserves to play first most days).

A trade could also shake things up.

The Mets have made McNeil, Smith, and Davis available this offseason, though SNY's Andy Martino recently reported that none of them were being actively shopped.