When spring training starts again Friday at Citi Field, Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen expects all of the team’s players will be there.
“At this point, we’ve heard all our players are making travel arrangements and hope to make it here this week,’’ Van Wagenen said Monday. “We anticipate everyone reporting to camp.”
Not every team can say the same, including the Mets’ NL East rivals, the defending-champion Nationals, who have already had a pair of players — Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross — decide to stay home for the year due to COVID-19 concerns.
Van Wagenen added he’s not yet sure whether the entire coaching staff will be with the team, but that he would have a better idea this week.
The GM called the Mets “very fortunate” to have only had one player on the 40-man roster test positive and the unidentified player is recovering, according to Van Wagenen, who added he’s “optimistic” the player will be able to participate at the start of camp.
And after a shutdown that’s lasted more than three months, Van Wagenen remains bullish on his team.
The GM said Monday the Mets are “built to win” as they prepare for an abbreviated 60-game season — if the pandemic permits.
“The fact we’re coming in with the same group we left with, but with some additional pieces, we feel we have a group that can contend,’’ Van Wagenen said on a Zoom call. “When I look back at where we were at the end of the season last year, I think we had the best record in the National League over the last 60 games. So if we can pick up where we left off and go through a 60-game sprint, I think we’ll be in a position we’ll be happy with.”
When the team begins its workouts on Friday, all eyes will be on Yoenis Cespedes. The slugger last appeared in a game nearly two years ago and has since undergone separate surgeries to remove calcifications from both heels in 2018 and then suffered right ankle fractures during an encounter with a wild boar on his ranch in May 2019.
In March, Cespedes was taking live batting practice, and a source told The Post’s Mike Puma there is “a strong chance” he could be ready for Opening Day next month.
“We’ll have to evaluate how the next few days go, but we’re optimistic,’’ Van Wagenen said of the possibility of Cespedes being active when the season starts. And he doesn’t want to limit Cespedes to the DH role and would rather rotate players at the position to keep them fresh.
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Cespedes’ health will be just one of the challenges the Mets have to deal with as they try to navigate playing through a pandemic.
Van Wagenen said the organization had some minor leaguers test positive for COVID and players would be informed about how to stay safe both at the ballpark — and away from it.
“We have to be careful,’’ Van Wagenen said. “Education is gonna be critical for us.”
He pointed to the leadership from the owners, front office, coaches and players about how to “best handle and best cope with the challenges we face and what we know is possible in the way of avoiding the virus and keep it from spreading when it inevitably does affect people.”
Van Wagenen said the organization “will continue to be strict” about safety protocols, but won’t “create penalties or fines for when they leave the ballpark.”
“We trust them,’’ Van Wagenen said. “They trust us. We trust each other. We feel like we’ll get through this in the best way possible.”
And then focus on the task at hand on the field.
“I think it’s a track meet,’’ the GM said of the shortened season. “This is like an Olympic trials. You have the 100 meters the first 20 days, then the 200 meters the second 20 days and then the 400-meter sprint. We’re motivated. We’re talented. Players are coming in with the mindset that there’s a sense of urgency that we’re not gonna give away any games in the early going.’’