Mets general manager Sandy Alderson indicated that Ruben Tejada is more likely to open the 2014 season as the starting shortstop than he was "two months ago." Alderson said essentially the same thing earlier this month, and it's starting to sound as though he's just trying to manufacture leverage out of thin air. It's well known that the Mets have soured on Tejada, so a scenario in which Tejada's name is in the Opening Day lineup should be considered a big loss for the Mets' brass, regardless of how aggressively Alderson would like to meddle with the narrative. New York would seem to match up very well as a trade partner with the freewheeling Diamondbacks, who employ a pair of promising shortstops in Chris Owings and Didi Gregorius. Alderson mentioned that "two or three teams are potential trade partners."