Updated by Joe D. 3/26
A team source told Adam Rubin that veteran righthander LaTroy Hawkins has made the Opening Day roster. This comes as no surprise given manager Terry Collins‘ propensity to lean towards players with more experience as long as they are healthy.
Hawkins, 40, has not allowed a run over five innings during Grapefruit League action. He is coming off a season where he posted a 3.64 ERA in 48 relief appearances.
The Mets signed him to a minor-league deal in late January and will have to cut someone from the 40 man roster to make room for him.
Looks like Rob Carson will be the second lefty in the pen, which was also Adam Rubin’s belief when we asked him in an interview yesterday.
Carson has made 10 appearances this spring with a 5.40 ERA. Last season he posted a 4.73 ERA in 17 appearances for the Mets.
Originally Posted by Mitch 3/25
Pedro Feliciano has been advised that he will not be with the Mets’ big league club when spring training breaks in a week. The Mets want him to head to Triple-A to build up his arm strength.
Marc Carig of Newsday tweeted that Feliciano hasn’t ruled out starting the season in the minors, but thinks he is ready for major league competition now. According to ESPN New York, Feliciano stated that “[Batters] have to think about my deception mechanics-wise. You don’t have to throw 100 mph. You have to throw a strike to get some lefties. They made that decision. I’m going to think about it and see what I decide. Hopefully somebody picks me up. We’ll see what happens.”
Feliciano has had a rough spring. He was recovering from shoulder surgery, and then was almost shut down with a heart ailment earlier in camp. His velocity is still hovering in the low to mid 80s, and the Mets probably feel more comfortable starting the season with Robert Carson and Josh Edgin as their lefty bullpen options.
Joe D. reported yesterday that the Mets had until Tuesday to decide what to do with Feliciano, as the Mets had to clear some roster space in order for guys like Marlon Byrd, Scott Atchison and LaTroy Hawkins.
