3 Burning Questions the Mets Can't Answer During Quarantine

The indefinite postponement of the MLB regular season has worked in favor of clubs that figured to begin the year with several players on the injured list.

Other teams, however, entered the 2020 campaign with a myriad of questions that likely could have been answered by now. The New York Mets, as they so often do, fall right into that category. With that in mind, let's highlight some of the biggest question marks hanging over the head of first-year manager Luis Rojas.

3. Who Steps Up in Place of Thor?

Noah Syndergaard's untimely need to undergo Tommy John surgery has opened up a spot in the Mets' rotation. While you can't necessarily replace a hurler of Thor's caliber, the club has the pitching depth to be able to overcome his loss. Prior to the additions of Michael Wacha and Rick Porcello, there was talk that Steven Matz could be moved to the bullpen. Now, all three pitchers will have a chance to feature in New York's rotation behind Jacob deGrom and Marcus Stroman. It's really anyone's guess as to who will truly emerge as the next guy up behind deGrom, the two-time defending NL Cy Young winner, and and Stro Show.

2. How Healthy is Yoenis Cespedes?

You could propose the entire Mets outfield as a question in regards to who will start on Opening Day, but the extended delay of the start of the year has left all of Queens wondering how healthy Yoenis Cespedes really is. The 34-year-old is working his way back from double heel surgery and had only taken live batting practice when Spring Training was suspended in mid-March due to COVID-19. He had yet to appear in actual Grapefruit League play, but had the sports world not be put on freeze, it's reasonable to think that "la Potencia" could have made serious strides in his recovery. Now, nobody knows what the two-time All-Star will look like once teams are cleared to report to practice again.

1. What Will Edwin Diaz Look Like?

If there's a positive to take out of Edwin Diaz's disaster debut season in Flushing, it's that things can only go up from here. For the year, the 26-year-old reliever registered a 2-7 record alongside a repulsive 5.59 ERA, 4.51 FIP, 1.379 WHIP, and seven blown saves. He also set a new record by serving up 15 ninth inning home runs. If Diaz resembles anything close to the dominant closer he was for the Seattle Mariners in 2018, the Mets, who signed Dellin Betances this offseason, could have a solid bullpen. Unfortunately for the Amazins, nobody knows how the former AL Reliever of the Year will look in 2020.