Photo by Ed Delany/MMO

With the beginning of the season being a little ways away, the Mets have stated that they will hold off on announcing pitching roles until later this spring. With the clear starters being Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman, and Rick Porcello, the fifth spot is still up for grabs.

When the Mets signed Michael Wacha to a one year deal this winter, questions about pitchers like Steven Matz, Seth Lugo, and Robert Gsellman began to rise. With Wacha having relief incentives in his contract, his role as a starter or a relief pitcher was a clear sign that the fifth rotation spot would be a unique position this season.

With a potential of four pitchers available to start in the fifth spot, things can get a little dicy. One big thing the Mets are taking into account is the specific opponent the fifth man would be facing according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. With a lefty in Steven Matz and righties in Wacha, Lugo, and Gsellman, the Mets have the ability to decide if a team’s lineup will fare better against a southpaw or a righty.

For example, the first time the fifth starter will be seen will be on April 1 against the Phillies. The Mets will have to decide if they want to send out a lefty in Steven Matz to try and combat Bryce Harper and Didi Gregorius or send out Wacha for righty vs. righty matchups.

The team has also considered using an opener during fifth-day starts. With both Matz and Wacha having trouble getting deep into games, the Mets have contemplated opening with a pitcher like Gsellman or Lugo and then bringing in either Matz or Wacha to take over.

The main issue with the idea of using these pitchers in this system is the fact that it would all depend on who is used in relief in games prior. If Lugo is needed to pitch two innings in relief, he would no longer be available to open up a game the next day. The same goes for Gsellman and Matz is they were to be called upon in a bullpen situation.

While the Mets seem to be happy with their depth and see a fight for a fifth starter as a positive, when it comes to actual game time things will be a lot more difficult. They are relying on the health and success of bullpen arms in Dellin Betances, Jeurys Familia, and Edwin Diaz in order to have a funky fifth starter work in their favor. Regardless of who takes the mound on the fifth day, either as a starter or an opener, there will a lot riding on the bullpen and its health.