SNY's Andy Martino will be responding to and breaking down answers to questions from readers. Here's the latest...

Rank these Mets in importance to keep long term (yours & likely Met brass' view): McNeil, Alonso, Smith, Conforto, Davis. Mine is that order assuming they'd never let Pete & Dom both go. Surprised you said McNeil probably won't stay long -- that'd be a mistake — @JoshRogersNYC

Ooh, this is an interesting question. An answer will be naturally imprecise and subject to the whims of fate and changing performance, but here’s my stab at it based on all my reporting on the team and how its front office views players.

This is in order of what I think will happen, and does not represent my opinion one way or the other on what should happen.

Pete Alonso

He said he wanted black jerseys on Fridays, and the Mets gave him black jerseys on Friday. He was the latest in a long line of Mets to complain about MLB’s rule against wearing first responder hats every Sept. 11 -- and he was chosen to announce that the ban would be lifted. The organization has already treated Alonso like a face of the franchise, which feels like a decent indication of their commitment to him.

Dom Smith

Honestly, after Alonso it feels uncertain with all of these guys, at least to a degree. Between his leadership and production in 2020, Smith felt like a shoe-in for a long-term commitment. Now we wonder if he will stick in left or return to first base. Smith’s combined offensive production and defense in the outfield make him appear less valuable to a team than if he were playing first base. At either position, a team is looking for better than Smith’s current .386 slugging percentage. Last year’s .616 would get it done. Smith remains a key positive figure in the Mets’ culture.

Michael Conforto

He is a leader and a pro. One rival executive speculated that if Conforto’s disappointing 2021 walk year resulted in a one-year deal, agent Scott Boras might want to do that in a park friendlier to hitters than Citi Field, rather than accept a qualifying offer for the Mets. But this could still go one of many ways.

Jeff McNeil

One rival scout told me that McNeil’s reputation for reacting angrily when he makes outs is spreading around the league and lowering his trade value. This is not generally viewed as team-first behavior. One wonders if the Mets will try to sell as high as they can in the offseason, rather than risk further diminishment of his production and reputation -- especially if they decide to pursue Javy Baez in free agency.

J.D. Davis

The Mets were willing to move him in the offseason and again last month before the trade deadline. It’s not that they dislike Davis as a hitter or person, and they’re not looking to dump him for the sake of doing it. But he’s a moveable piece.

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