It’s not big league camp, but there’s plenty going on in Port St. Lucie, Florida this Friday that is Mets related!

Buck is Ready

Buck Showalter has been down in PSL for a few weeks now prepping for the 2022 season regardless of the current lockout. “We’re trying to use our time wisely where it’s a moving target. Hopefully we get a phone call, and we got ready for the moment the players walk through the door. I think the teams that are ready to go when they walk through the door will be ahead of the game, because it’s not if, it’s when and you got to be ready.”

Also, Buck is worried there’s a Florida panther lurking around Mets camp.

Mets Have New Coach

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports that the Mets have hired former big league pitcher Danny Barnes to be an assistant coach on the major league staff.

Buck says that Barnes will help the Mets in a variety of different ways and didn’t want to lock down a specific role for him.

“He understands a lot of things that we have to do, and he’s played in the big leagues,” Showalter said. “He knows his way around a Major League locker room, and he’ll help everybody.”

The 32-year-old Manhasset, New York native pitched in the big leagues from 2016 through 2018 with the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched in 12 games for the Long Island Ducks in 2021.

The Princeton graduate has a degree in economics and is currently enrolled in Columbia Business School.

Wright Will Be Back

Showalter told reporters on Friday that former Met star David Wright will be a guest instructor for a few days when big league camp opens. Wright had been a special assistant to the GM following his retirement, though that was not the case in recent seasons.

The Mets typically have a few players like Wright or Mike Piazza as guest instructors early on in major league camp.

Baseball Players in Camp!

Minor leaguers starting showing up for camp on Friday morning, including Mets top prospect Francisco Alvarez. The 20-year-old catching prospect set the lofty goal of making his major league debut during the 2022 season.

Upcoming Coverage

MMO’s own photographer Ed Delany is expecting to be at minor league camp on Saturday to start MMO’s coverage of the spring session. I will be hoping to join him in the next few weeks to bring you more coverage of the camp as well.