Spring training has been pretty quiet for the Mets so far, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You could say the roster is starting to take shape, but that probably wouldn’t be accurate since Major League Baseball was in place before camp opened.
The only position battle is in the bullpen. There are two open spots in the bullpen, which doesn’t exactly make it the most intriguing competition. The Mets have been relatively healthy thus far, with the exception of left-hander Jose Quintana, and there are already plenty of replacements for his rotation spot.
Prospects have been the talk of the town this spring. Third baseman Brett Baty, third baseman/first baseman Mark Vientos, shortstop Ronny Mauricio and catcher Francisco Álvarez have handled themselves well over the past month, with the first three showing off their hitting tools and Álvarez showing improvements behind the plate.
But any excitement surrounding those four needs to be reduced for now. The Grapefruit League stats don’t really tell the whole story and they have major league competition set up on the depth chart. The Mets go on to say they need all of them to be able to defend at the major league level before the club is comfortable using them every day, but beyond defensive concerns, there are other reasons to start all four at Triple-A. .
( Mets’ Kodai Senga makes first Grapefruit League start )
With that in mind, let’s take a look at what the 26-man Opening Day roster could look like. Keep in mind that the Opening Day roster will not be the one they will play with all season.
Tomas Nido is a homegrown backup trusted by the entire pitching staff. Omar Narváez was once considered a leadoff catcher, but he’s significantly improved his framing in recent seasons. The Mets have a two-year commitment to him, allowing Álvarez to continue to develop in Triple-A.
To the fans who complain that Narváez hasn’t hit in spring training: It doesn’t really matter. Spring training results matter very little to veterans like Narvaez. But the Mets will see a lot of Álvarez behind the plate when Narváez heads to the World Baseball Classic to play for Team Venezuela.
After undergoing ankle surgery last fall, the club was slow to get Álvarez behind the plate. But the ankle hasn’t been an issue for him this spring and he’ll have a chance to show better footwork, framing and agility behind the plate. He can continue to build on all of this and build more confidence in Triple-A.
There are no surprises here. Expect Daniel Vogelbach and/or Darin Ruf to trail Pete Alonso at first base and expect Danny Mendick to be the first infielder to be called up from Triple-A.
Baty has a 1.208 OPS and Vientos has a .923 OPS with two home runs, so they could give the Mets some tough decisions. However, the club still sees things that need to be improved with both, such as Baty’s defense and Vientos’ base running. In order for them to make those improvements, they need to play every day. They couldn’t do it at the major league level.
Mauricio has three home runs this spring and has been hitting off-speed pitches, which is a good sign. The decision here isn’t whether he’ll make the major league roster, it’s whether to move him to the outfield or keep him at shortstop and try to trade him.
Starling Marte is making slow progress this spring after double groin surgery, so if you can’t start the season, look to outfielder Tim Locastro for a chance. The base-stealing specialist who spent time with the Yankees last season is having a stellar spring, leading the Mets in doubles and stolen bases.
Locastro has had a better spring than Tommy Pham, but the Mets have $5 million committed to Pham next season, and he has a better record at the plate. However, Locastro has no options, so the Mets could keep him for fear of losing him.
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This is going to be controversial with fans, but the Mets believe Ruf’s performance last season was an aberration. His wrist is a concern, but if he starts the season on the disabled list, he could open up a spot for someone like Locastro, as the Mets plan to use Pham as a designated hitter against left-handed pitching on occasion.
Quintana is currently sidelined with a stress fracture to his left fifth rib. The Mets didn’t provide a timeline, but a typical return for this type of injury is four to six weeks, possibly longer for a pitcher, so it would put him on the disabled list to start the season.
Manager Buck Showalter has talked about the need for a lefty in the rotation, so David Peterson fits that description. The Mets could also turn to Joey Lucchesi, another lefty, or they could put him in the Triple-A rotation for a stretched emergency starter.
The Mets will likely carry eight relievers with at least one long man, but that could change. The decision regarding the final two spots could come down to this: Who don’t the Mets want to lose?
Right-hander John Curtiss was a key piece of the Tampa Bay Rays’ bullpen during their 2020 World Series run. He doesn’t need spring training to be ready as he had a heavy winter load after sitting out last season. at Tommy John’s rehab. He added a change and he’s been smelling it. Curtiss also has one more option year left, so he won’t have to go on waivers like right-hander Stephen Nogosek. The Mets might be more inclined to keep someone like Nogosek early in the season knowing he could be picked up on waivers.
Zach Greene, a former Yankees pawn, was a Rule 5 selection, so he would have to go through waivers and be offered back to the Yankees should the Mets fail to place him on the Opening Day roster. He was solid in his first two starts before struggling in his second two.
Lucchesi and right-hander Elieser Hernandez will likely end up starting at Syracuse, but both have shown a willingness to throw out of the bullpen. Sam Coonrod, a quit claimer, is also in the mix.
