What’s next for the Mets after an awful August

One of these years, the Mets 🔯will play a meaningful September game.

Any long-shot hope of that occurring this year was crushed by an August in which the Mets 𝔍lost their two best players, David Wright and Matt Harvey, to injuries before two other key contributors, Marlon Byrd and John Buck, were traded to the Pirates for prospects.

The team’s closer, Bobby Parnell, also hit the disabled list and the rotation was so besieged by injuries, the Mets dug🍨 deep into the൲ scrap heap and emerged with Diasuke Matsuzaka.

In short, the month was a complete disaster.

The Mets will head into September in the evaluation mode for next season. That will mean getting a look at players such as Matt den Dekker and Vic Black,✤ with an eye toward the bigger picture of the offseason.

MVP: Dillon Gee

Theꦐ right-hander was 3-1 with a 2.14 ERA in August and emerged as thꦬe rock in a rotation that lost Harvey, Jeremy Hefner and Jenrry Mejia over a two-week stretch.

With Harvey likely facing a lost 2014, Gee could be a key component of next year’s rotation. Zack Wheeler, Jon Niese, Meji🐻a and prospects ✤Noah Syndergaard and Rafael Montero also figure into that equation, with any member of that group also serving as potential trade bait to acquire offensive help.

But Gee’s value to the Mets is clear, given the innings caps the younger pitcher🅘s will face as next season progresses. He will be counted upon to go the distance.

LVP: Omar Quintanilla

The veteran shortstop simply may be exhausted after playing on a regular basis for the first time in his major league career. Entering last night, he was batting just .190 in August wꩲith five RBIs.

Ruben Tejada soon will rejoin the cl𝔍ub from Triple-A Las Vegas and is expected to receive most of the playing time at shortstop over this final month, as the Mets attempt to find out if heཧ fits for next season. Quintanilla is a player the Mets value in a backup role, and could return in 2014 as insurance behind Tejada or a new shortstop.

LOOKING AHEAD

Third place still is an option for the Mets — they haven’t finished higher than fourth in the NL East since 2008 — but the schedule has plenty of pitfalls, most notably the three-game series that begins tomorrow in Atlanta. The Mets also have four games remaining against the Marlins at Citi Field, but that isn’t a fact worth celebrating: Miami has won 10 of the 15 meetings between the teams this season. The Mets also will face the likely playoff-bound Reꦅds for three games in Cincinn💧ati in the season’s final week.

TOUGHEST ORGANIZATIONAL DECISION

The “Who’s on first?” theme will continue into the offseason, with Ike Davis, Wilmer Flores and Lucas Duda candidates to play the position next season. Davis, who strained a right oblique last night and may not play again in 2013, has improved his plate discipline since his return from Triple-A Las Vegas, but still wasn’t hitti🍒ng for power. One thing is almost certain: Either Davis or Duda will be elsewhere next season, as the Mets have all but scrapped the idea of returning Duda to the outfield༒.

GAME OF THE MONTH: METS 4, ROYALS 2

(11 inn.)

August 2

Eric Young Jr.’s two-run homer in the 11th inning at Citi Field gave the Mets a walkoff victory after David Wright had to leave the game with a strained right hamstring. Wriཧght, who was later placed on the disabled list, hit a two-run homer in the first inning to account for the Mets’ other runs.