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PORT ST. LUCIE — Mets pitchers and catchers will report to camp tomorrow, starting another spring training in which manager Terry Collins will try to convince his team it can compete.
The Mets have shed about $50 million in payroll from the start of last year’s camp and will be just about everybody’s pick to finish last in the NL East. The past three seasons, the Mets have finished fourth.
As camp prepares to open officially, here’s a look at five major issues facing the team:
Health
It has been three straight three straight years of misery for the Mets trying to keep their best players healthy. Last year’s casualties included Johan Santana, who never returned from shoulder surgery the previous September, and David Wright, Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy who were out for extended periods. Never mind that Jose Reyes also hit the disabled list twice.
All teams deal with injuries, but few recently have been hit as hard as the Mets, in terms of the caliber of players lost for extended stretches.
If the Mets hope to have any chance, Santana’s return is crucial, even if that means pitching like a No. 2 or 3 in the rotation.
Murphy’s knees will be an issue, and Davis still has to prove his ankle is healthy, after spending most of last season trying to recover from a bone bruise.
The Wright deal?
The Mets couldn’t stomach the idea of losing Reyes and Wright in the same offseason, so they never seriously considered trading the latter.
But that doesn’t mean Wright will last the entire season in a Mets uniform, as general manager Sandy Alderson and his staff consider every possibility in trying to jump-start the organization.
With the shorter fences at Citi Field this season, Wright could have big numbers heading into the summer months and seem like a valuable piece for a team needing a third baseman.
Reyes took $106 million to join the Marlins, after the Mets never bothered to make him a concrete offer. Wright could be the next star to depart.
Pelfrey mystery
Mike Pelfrey was finger-licking good in 2010, but last season he reverted to the pitcher who has struggled with consistency for most of his major league career.
The Mets need a dominant Pelfrey, especially if Santana can’t answer the bell, leaving the likes of Miguel Batista or Chris Schwinden as part of the rotation.
Maybe the biggest mistake Collins made last year was naming Pelfrey his ace in Santana’s absence. Collins won’t make the same misstep this season.
R.A. Dickey, Jon Niese and Dillon Gee can be solid middle-of-the rotation pitchers, but Pelfrey has the biggest upside — and perhaps downside — of the bunch.
Bullpen
The Cardinals won the World Series last year led by a bullpen with plenty of interchangeable pieces. Alderson used most of his available resources this winter trying to follow the Cardinals’ blueprint.
Enter Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch and Ramon Ramirez, who will be expected to bolster a unit that was dreadful following Francisco Rodriguez’s trade to the Brewers during the All-Star break.
Though Bobby Parnell’s maddening inconsistency kept him from claiming the closer’s role, the Mets aren’t ready to give up on his 100-mph heat.
Bay bust, or bustout
Halfway through his four-year contract for $66 million — unless you consider his fifth-year vesting option — Bay is the biggest bust in Mets history.
Bay hit 36 home runs in his final year with the Red Sox, but has just 18 in two combined seasons with the Mets. He is 33 years old — not exactly an age when skills begin improving.
Maybe the shorter fences at Citi Field will help. But this also might be the year the Mets have to accept the fact Bay possibly is done as an everyday player. The money already is spent, regardless if he plays full- time or part-time.
mpuma@nypost.com