It’s been a relatively quiet spring in Port St. Lucie this year, and now it’s winding down. The Mets came into spring training amid far less fanfare than in years past, with only a few open spots on the big league roster and no plans for big upgrades.
The front office has been continually monitoring the free agent, waiver and trade markets, but only made minor additions after camp began. This shows that preseason priorities have not changed. The Mets don’t want to sign anyone that could potentially take away at-bats from Brett Baty and Mark Vientos, and they don’t want to bring in any pitchers on long-term contracts with some emerging young arms at the higher levels of their minor league system.
But you won’t find those emerging pitchers on the Opening Day roster. While the future is looking bright, the Mets are more focused on the present and don’t want to interrupt their development.
With only a few spots up for grabs, here’s a look at what the Opening Day roster could look like.
STARTING PITCHING: JOSE QUINTANA, LUIS SEVERINO, SEAN MANAEA, ADRIAN HOUSER, TYLOR MEGILL
With Kodai Senga set to start the season on the injured list, the Mets will turn to Quintana, a lefty, to start the season. He’s as steady, solid and dependable as starting pitchers come. Houser and Manaea may not be flashy (especially since Manaea cut his hair), but the Mets see them as reliable arms who can eat innings. The question with Severino, the former Yankees ace, is his command. However, through nine innings of Grapefruit League play this spring, he has yet to issue a walk and has allowed only one earned run.
DON’T COUNT OUT: JOSE BUTTO
Megill, a right-hander, has likely won that fifth spot with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in 15 2/3 Grapefruit League innings, but the Mets are excited about the progress of Jose Butto, another right-hander. He still has options, so should he start the season with Triple-A Syracuse, look for him to be the first pitcher called up this season, especially because he can throw multiple innings out of the bullpen.
BULLPEN: EDWIN DIAZ, ADAM OTTAVINO, BROOKS RALEY, DREW SMITH, JAKE DIEKMAN, MICHAEL TONKIN, JORGE LOPEZ, SEAN REID-FOLEY
Sound the trumpets — the best closer in baseball is back with the return of Diaz. Adam Ottavino and Drew Smith also return with Smith looking for more high-leverage innings. With Diekman, the Mets finally have a second left-hander, allowing for better matchups.
DON’T COUNT OUT: YOHAN RAMIREZ, PHIL BICKFORD
Sean Reid-Foley might be in line for one of the two open bullpen spots, but he was recently shut down with arm fatigue. The Mets said he should be ready for Opening Day, but leaves some room for doubt. Ramirez has not allowed an earned run this spring (six innings), and the Mets have always liked Bickford’s fastball. It’s worth noting that none of them have remaining minor league options.
CATCHER: FRANCISCO ALVAREZ, OMAR NARVAEZ
Alvarez is primed for a big year. Following a big rookie season, the slugger emphasized defense. He threw out three runners in a game recently, showing that his work with catching coach Glenn Sherlock is paying off.
Narvaez has not made any secret of the fact that he would like to play. However, it’s unlikely that the Mets will trade him anytime soon. He’s a solid backup, has a familiarity with David Stearns from his days in Milwaukee and the team doesn’t have another catcher on the 40-man roster.
INFIELD: PETE ALONSO, JEFF McNEIL, FRANCISCO LINDOR, BRETT BATY, JOEY WENDLE
McNeil will finally get into a Grapefruit League game this week. The Mets started him slow because of his elbow, but sore biceps forced him to start even slower. He’ll see plenty of time in the outfield this year, but the 2022 NL batting champ is expected to play primarily at second base.
Wendle will be the utilityman this season, which is important since the Mets are still unsure of how well Baty and Vientos can defend at third base. In addition,
DON’T COUNT OUT: JI-MAN CHOI
Choi has been a popular player in the clubhouse this spring, and he’s a solid defender at first base. He could beat out DJ Stewart for the left-handed bench bat role.
OUTFIELD: BRANDON NIMMO, HARRISON BADER, STARLING MARTE, TYRONE TAYLOR
Marte is hitting just .143 in Grapefruit League play this spring. Not exactly what the Mets were hoping for, and not what he was hoping for in his quest to return to his 2022 form. Taylor will serve as an insurance policy of sorts. He’s had a solid spring at the plate, hitting .276 with four RBI, a home run and a stolen base.
Should Bader stay healthy, Nimmo will move to left field. Marte and/or Taylor will play in right.
DH: MARK VIENTOS, DJ STEWART
Vientos will see plenty of time at third base, but the Mets want to see what he can do with consistent playing time at the plate. A right-handed hitter who hits righties and lefties, he should get plenty of at-bats this season.
Stewart is an interesting candidate because of his ability to play outfield. He earned a spot based on his hot summer, but Choi has out-hit him this spring and he’s a better defender at first base. Stewart also has an option left, so the team could open the season with Choi and go to Stewart when left-handed pop is needed.
