
There’s no denying over the past couple of seasons the New York Mets big league roster and upper levels of the minors have really lacked quality big league depth.
One of the biggest points of emphasis by team President Sandy Alderson this offseason has been building a deeper roster from top to bottom.
To this point in the offseason, Alderson and company have stayed true to their word. While they missed out on the big three in free-agency, the Mets have done a solid job of building out the roster with quality big league options.
Just in the past few days alone, the team made some depth moves to improve the quality of their bench, signing both Jonathan Villar and Albert Almora.
After those two additions, here’s how the Mets bench could potentially look on Opening Day:
- Tomas Nido (C)
- Jonathan Villar (2B, SS, 3B, LF, CF)
- Luis Guillorme (2B, SS, 3B)
- Albert Almora (LF, CF, RF)
- Jose Martinez (1B, LF, RF)
You could certainly make the argument that this is most solid the Mets bench has been since maybe the 2015 season, after the additions of Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe.
Nido has been working on his swing with Gradum baseball again this offseason, and if he can stay healthy it’ll be interesting to see if his tweaks at the plate can lead to results.
Either way, Nido and James McCann is a very solid tandem behind the plate on both sides of the ball.
Despite coming off back-to-back terrible seasons, Almora offers the Mets some potential upside. He is still just 26-years-old, is a career .271 hitter, with a .734 OPS against left-handed pithing, and can give the Mets a defensive replacement option late in games as a true center fielder. A change of scenery could be just what Almora needs.
Mets fans know exactly what they’re getting from Luis Guillorme. The guy is a fan favorite, and is just waiting for his opportunity to shine. His glove is smooth, and if he can pick things up right where he left off at the plate last year, he’ll certainly start seeing more and more playing time.
Guillorme, like Almora, is still just 26, provide some upside offensively, and plays strong defense at numerous positions. Martinez is a veteran bat who has some pop, and has crushed left-handed pitching over his five-year big league career.
Last but not least, the most recent signing of Jonathan Villar to a cheap one-year deal could end up being a shrewd move. The veteran switch-hitter adds defensive versatility, has bounce back potential at the plate, and most notably, is a legit stolen base threat, which this team has been lacking for a long time.
These are not stars making up the Mets bench, but they are solid role players who can fill in and get the job done when needed, which is exactly what the Mets need them to be.





