MLB

Mets brass keep focus on an opener … in 2014

PORT ST. LUCIE — Ike Davis took one look at The Post’s baseball preview yesterday, featuring Mr. Met rowing a lifeboat as the Yankees ship was about to go under and offered these words.

“At least we’re still afloat,’’ the first baseman said.

That could be the Mets’ theme for the season, go ahead and order the T-shirts. The goal is to stay afloat in the roughest of seas while looking to the 2014 horizon and calmer waters.

Opening Day is Monday against the Padres at Citi Field. The vibe of this injury-plagued spring training from Mets officials is it’s all about Opening Day … 2014.

If the Mets could fast-forward this season they would.

Here are your 2013 talking points: Opening Day, the All-Star Game at Citi Field, the first major league starts for Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud and how they handle being major leaguers, Matt Harvey’s continued maturation, Jon Niese’s development as lead starter, and David Wright fulfilling his Captain America duties.

Throw in Bobby Parnell’s ascension to closer and whether he can handle the load, Davis’ growth as a power hitter, the ongoing Lucas Duda Dilemma and discovering if Ruben Tejada can be the shortstop for years to come.

That’s pretty much the Mets’ 2013 season in a nutshell.

Owner Fred Wilpon arrived on the scene early in camp and said the Mets will have money to spend next winter. He was already looking ahead. Johan Santana will be off the books, he’s already off the radar as a result of the probable re-tear in his shoulder capsule, ending his Mets’ career. Add Jason Bay to the list of the departed and the Mets’ payroll will be free of $52 million after this season. Making the correct choices on how to spend that money will be huge.

All the while, the trick is to balance that brighter future with today.

“It’s something you have to keep in mind every day,’’ general manager Sandy Alderson said. “The essence of a balance is considering both sides and trying to maintain equilibrium so every decision you make you have to think about how it impacts short-term and long-term. You have to keep in mind what the long-term goal is, but at the same time there are exigencies of the present that you have to deal with.’’

If you don’t deal with those pressing problems of the present, there might not be a long-term.

As terrible as the Santana injury is, it was not totally unexpected. This forces the Mets to turn the pitching page and move toward 2014.

“It’s disheartening and for me it’s sad,’’ Wright said of Santana’s injury. “You feel for him because of the work he put in.’’

But Wright and the Mets know they have to keep moving. One of those present and future keys was on the mound yesterday in Harvey, who started and pitched four shutout innings in a 7-2 thumping of the Cardinals in the final game at Tradition Field as the Mets made their way to Sarasota and beyond.

The jubilation of breaking camp with the Mets meant so much to Harvey, though he was a lock.

“Last year I wanted to make the team out of spring training,’’ he said. “I think the hardest part was driving by the major league parking lot over to the minor league section one day and seeing all the cars getting shipped to New York. That was rough.

“This year, one of my buddies was in town, and he was driving me to the park and I could see my car up on top of the transport, and, man, that was a good feeling.’’

One sweet ride.

Harvey insists these Mets will be better, pointing to the low-cost additions of John Buck, Collin Cowgill and Marlon Byrd.

“Buck is going to help all the pitchers,’’ he said. “It is going to be a fun year. And now it’s go time.’’

It sure is. Stay afloat, Mets.