With the Mets' roster fortified and deep, one of the only real battles of spring training (aside from who will replace the injured Frankie Montas in the six-man starting rotation) revolved around the battle for the backup infielder job.
The odds might have been with Nick Madrigal, who signed a one-year split contract at the end of January.
But Madrigal suffered a dislocated left shoulder during Sunday's game against the Nationals.
Madrigal will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, but it's fair to believe the infielder being available for Opening Day is highly unlikely.
That means the competition for what is expected to be the final spot on the four-man bench, which should also include backup catcher Luis Torrens, outfielder/designated hitter Starling Marte, and either Jose Siri or Tyrone Taylor (whichever center fielder isn't starting that day) just became wide open.
Let's break down the candidates...
Luisangel Acuña
Acuña checks all the boxes.
He has the ability to play shortstop, third base, and second base, has some real offensive upside, and excelled on both sides of the ball late last season during his first taste of the majors.
But ironically, it could be Acuña's ability and success that keeps him off the roster.
That's because if the Mets think his future is as a starting-level player, they might believe it's in his best interest to get regular playing time at Triple-A Syracuse to start the year if the alternative is sporadic playing time in the bigs.