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Alderson says Mets will look at external 1B options

Patrick McDermott / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The New York Mets are leaving no stone unturned in their search for a first baseman.

With Lucas Duda out for an extended period thanks to a stress fracture in his back, the need to plug their gaping hole at first is apparent. The team is starting to consider options outside the organization, though general manager Sandy Alderson said nothing is imminent on that front.

"We're not ruling out anything externally," Alderson told ESPN's Adam Rubin on Friday. "We'll continue to monitor what's available. We haven't at this point decided that we're just going to go with what we have."

What they have right now, however, is a bunch of players who have almost zero experience at first base. Names such as David Wright and Michael Conforto have been discussed as possibilities to shift positions, though manager Terry Collins ruled Conforto out of the mix Friday. For now, infielder Eric Campbell is playing first, while utility infielder Wilmer Flores has been manning the position on his rehab assignment.

Related - Collins: MLB not where you 'put the fat kid over at 1st'

As for the external options, veteran James Loney continues to be the name most closely linked to the club. After being said to have "some curiosity" in the 32-year-old earlier this week, Mets scouts were reportedly seen watching him with the Padres' Triple-A affiliate in El Paso, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. Loney can opt out of his minor-league deal with San Diego for a major-league job.

Alderson may have additional trade targets in mind, but the timing may not be right for a big deal just yet.

"It's doable," Alderson said. "The circumstances have to be right. Whether it's doable or not is one thing. Actually pursuing it and trying to identify something is something else."

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