Luis Rojas had his first media availability on Wednesday since being confirmed to return as Mets manager for the 2021 season.
The press conference, which lasted about an hour, saw the second-year manager cover a range of topics, from who will be coaching alongside him to the makeup of the Mets roster as currently constructed. The always-cordial Rojas came off as excited about having Dave Jauss as his bench coach next year and addressed the experience he learned from his first full season as manager.
Here are some takeaways from the remainder of the press conference:
Noah Syndergaard’s Rehab
Noah Syndergaard is “on schedule or maybe a little bit ahead of schedule” of his rehab from Tommy John surgery, according to Rojas.
The Mets manager noted the video we saw a month ago of Syndergaard throwing off a slope as an encouraging sign for Syndergaard’s rehab, and that’s he’s continued to progress well since then.
Syndergaard’s Tommy John surgery occurred at the end of March 2020, and the timetable to return from the elbow surgery usually ranges between 12 to 18 months.
While it was always more logical to shoot for a Syndergaard return around the All-Star break (July 2021 would put his recovery around 16 months), there’s a chance Syndergaard returns before that with his current progression in rehab. That, combined with the season potentially not starting until May would leave the Mets with a shorter time without Thor.
Mets’ Bullpen Flexibility
Rojas wouldn’t commit to Seth Lugo as a piece of the bullpen, noting that there are ongoing conversations about whether Lugo would be in the ‘pen or a starter next season. That will surely depend on who the Mets are able to acquire for the rest of the offseason. You can see a scenario where the Mets sign higher-end bullpen pieces and ask Lugo to start, and you can also see the Mets trying to sign guys like Trevor Bauer and Jake Odorizzi and having Lugo be his normal dominant bullpen self.
Luis also wouldn’t commit to Edwin Diaz as the closer to start the year. He highlighted, though, that Diaz would have a “major role” in the bullpen and be a pitcher they use in high-leverage situations. He also pointed out they have a handful of guys like Trevor May and Jeurys Familia who can end up closing out a game.
Amed Rosario at Third and Dom Smith in Left?
At the end of last season, Rojas was starting Andres Gimenez more at shortstop than Amed Rosario (even against platoon splits), which left Mets fans with plenty of questions surrounding Rosario’s role on the team in the future. Rojas said today that one thing he’s thought about with regards to Rosario is “increasing the versatility” of a player with his athleticism.
Rumors circulated with potentially trying out Rosario in center field, though that never really came to fruition. Rojas doubled down on that, saying they didn’t have any plans currently to try him out in center field primarily because Rosario “doesn’t feel comfortable” in the outfield.
Rojas also noted that Dominic Smith would likely be getting more playing time in left field this season, and that he’d still need a start every once in a while at first base. One could also see the scenario of Smith starting the game in left, then transitioning to first base later in the game with a lead to improve the team’s defense, as he did often in 2020.
(Note: Rojas said this with regards to Dom with how the roster is currently constructed, which means guys like Nimmo playing center field as the Mets haven’t signed an everyday center fielder yet. There’s also time for the designated hitter to be reinstated for the 2021 season, too, which would give Dom plenty more time at first base as Pete Alonso serves as the DH.)
Leadership in the Clubhouse
With the suspension of Robinson Cano, which “shocked” the manager, Rojas said there would be other players who could help makeup the deficit of leadership in the clubhouse with Cano gone for the year.
Rojas noted Michael Conforto as a standout leader from the 2020 season during his first year as manager. Conforto is the Mets’ player representative and played a significant role in the team’s protest of the shooting of James Blake, which was coordinated with the Miami Marlins, on the eve of celebrating Jackie Robinson Day.
He also said Dominic Smith, J.D. Davis, Brandon Nimmo, Jacob deGrom, and Seth Lugo all have varying levels of leadership roles on the team.
Excited About Cohen, Front Office
After getting the sign of approval from both Steve Cohen and Sandy Alderson, Rojas was enthused talking about the Mets current ownership and front office set up. “I feel a lot of energy from our owner,” Rojas said, saying that he “thinks it’s great” that Cohen set a high bar of expectations for the team.
Marking working with this front office as “definitely different” than working with the previous administration (making sure not to criticize the Wilpons or Brodie van Wagenen), Rojas said he was excited to work with Alderson, Jared Porter, and the rest of the new front office hires.
