This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo¡¯s Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

NEW YORK -- The first few Mets have already begun filtering into Port St. Lucie, Fla., where camp is scheduled to open in less than two weeks. It¡¯s going to be worth paying close attention to what happens this February and March, considering the sheer number of jobs up for grabs.

Today¡¯s newsletter highlights five areas that figure to have real, bona fide spring competition, beginning with the obvious: the position that Pete Alonso used to occupy.

First base

Full disclaimer: Everything below will change in an instant if Alonso -- still a free agent -- re-signs with the Mets. For the purposes of this exercise, however, let¡¯s assume he won¡¯t.

Without Alonso around, Mark Vientos becomes the on-paper favorite to start at first. He has more experience than Brett Baty at the position, including 84 professional games, and he¡¯s proven enough offensively to quell concerns about his bat carrying the position. It¡¯s not an ideal move, given Vientos¡¯ more recent work on the other side of the diamond, plus the fact that first base neutralizes his best defensive asset: a strong throwing arm. But president of baseball operations David Stearns indicated months ago that he¡¯s comfortable with Vientos at first. Such an outcome is looking increasingly likely.

Vientos won¡¯t, however, be on an island at his new position. Baty has been taking reps at first and could challenge for playing time with a strong spring. Jesse Winker, Joey Meneses and Jared Young could also push their way into increased responsibility. But if the Mets indeed move Vientos to first base, they¡¯re not going to want to mess with him too much. He¡¯ll play there far more often than not.

Competition level: Warm

Third base

Assuming Vientos mans first on a near-everyday basis, the Mets will have at least five players competing for time at third: Baty, Young, Luisangel Acu?a, Ronny Mauricio and Luis De Los Santos. All five are on the 40-man roster, but Baty and Acu?a would seem to hold an advantage given their youth and prospect pedigree. (Mauricio would typically fall into that camp as well, but a long recovery from multiple knee surgeries makes his situation more tenuous.)

This figures to be a true camp competition. Mets officials weren¡¯t sure at the end of last season if the 22-year-old Acu?a would be ready to help them, yet his performance subbing for Francisco Lindor in September, combined with his .914 OPS in the Venezuelan Winter League, turned heads. Baty, meanwhile, is running out of chances to prove he can be a bona fide big league regular. He was once every bit the prospect that Acu?a is now. Keep an eye on how both fare in Grapefruit League play.

Competition level: Hot

Center field

By the end of last year¡¯s playoff run, Tyrone Taylor had wrested the lion¡¯s share of center-field playing time away from Harrison Bader, who had been the nominal starter for much of the summer. Bader may be gone, but the Mets have replaced him with Jose Siri, an excellent defender featuring an intriguing -- albeit inconsistent -- power bat. Most likely, this won¡¯t be a competition so much as another timeshare early in the season, with manager Carlos Mendoza looking to squeeze the most production possible out of each player. But much will depend upon Taylor¡¯s health and effectiveness following a pair of offseason surgeries. Both are going to make the team.

Competition level: Cool

Rotation

The Mets did well to flesh out their rotation depth chart this winter, bringing back Sean Manaea and adding Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes and Griffin Canning to a group that already included Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Paul Blackburn and Tylor Megill. They can¡¯t all fit into the rotation, even if the Mets proceed with a six-man cycle from Opening Day -- a distinct possibility. If everyone stays healthy, Manaea, Senga, Montas and Holmes will be rotation locks. Peterson should also be there given his successes last year, leaving just one spot for Blackburn, Megill or Canning. Bullpen jobs could await the losers of a competition that may be the fiercest of spring.

Competition level: Hot

Bullpen

Edwin D¨ªaz ($21.5 million), A.J. Minter ($11 million) and Ryne Stanek ($4.5 million) are all on guaranteed contracts and -- assuming Minter can heal from his hip labrum surgery on time -- will open the season as Mendoza¡¯s top three bullpen options. If the Mets indeed go with a six-man rotation out of the gate, that leaves four bullpen spots available for others. (Teams are limited to 13 total pitchers.)

Reed Garrett is the next-closest thing to a lock given his importance to the 2024 relief corps. Barring significant Grapefruit League issues, he should be there. Close to two dozen others -- a dizzying number -- will compete for jobs. Among them are a group of out-of-options pitchers including Jos¨¦ Butt¨®, Sean Reid-Foley and Danny Young, as well as non-roster veterans Adbert Alzolay, G¨¦nesis Cabrera and Anthony Gose. (And the list goes on.) It¡¯s impossible to tell who might have an advantage until camp opens and the fastballs start popping.

Competition level: Hot