Jack Flynn - On Curtis Granderson

On May 3, Curtis Granderson was hitting .122 with one home run. It was embarrassing for everyone involved –for Curtis, for his teammates, for the fans who supported Curtis during his first three years in a Mets uniform.

His continued presence in the lineup was only a function of Yoenis Cespedes’s absence, and it seemed clear that Granderson was, at best, heading to the bench when Cespedes returned. With his trade value completely shot at that point, some were even calling for Granderson’s outright release, confident that his career was toast.

On Tuesday night, however, Granderson hit his 300^th career home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, which sparked the five-run outburst that cemented a series victory against the defending champion Chicago Cubs. It was Granderson’s 18^th extra base hit since hitting rock bottom in early May, and just one more reminder that you have to make sure that the deceased isn’t just sleeping soundly before you write the obituary.

Granderson’s revival is welcome news, but it also comes with a twist. The Mets find themselves in the same position they did in Spring Training – four outfielders for three positions. Even Juan Lagares has looked sharp in limited duty over the past month, which if anything makes the logjam even more difficult to navigate.

Now if you came here for brilliant insight on how to solve the “problem,” you’ve come to the wrong place. Perhaps Cespedes can be rested on day games after night games, and Lagares can play against every lefty, and the three left-handed hitting outfielders can rotate their way through center field and right field against right-handed starters. It still isn’t enough at-bats for five men who all deserve extended playing time based on their performances.

If you are looking for a test of Terry Collins’s roster management skills and Sandy Alderson’s player evaluation sensibilities, though, this is something to watch over the next six weeks. It seems impossible to believe that all five outfielders will still be Mets on August 1; Collins’s and Alderson’s handling of the situation will play a meaningful role in determining who will still be here – and the quality of talent that will be replacing the departed.