As things continue to develop in Mets camp and we also consider the season ending injuries to Zack Wheeler and Josh Edgin the Opening Day Roster projection sure looks a lot different than my last one in February. Here’s my latest stab at it.
Starting Lineup:
CF Juan Lagares
SS Wilmer Flores
3B David Wright
1B Lucas Duda
RF Michael Cuddyer
2B Daniel Murphy
LF Curtis Granderson
C Travis d’Arnaud
Yes, surprise, surprise, I bumped up Flores to the No. 2 spot in the order because from what I’ve seen, he’s handling the bat better than anyone else this Spring. Quick hands, a great looking swing, and he looks confident up at the plate.
Lagares is taking more walks, laying off balls in the dirt, utilizing his speed more than ever, and is primed for a breakthrough year despite the same doom and gloom crap you read elsewhere about him.
I still need to see Granderson raise that batting average before he merits a higher batting slot than those ahead of him. If and when he does, I’ll consider batting him higher.
Bench:
C Anthony Recker or Johnny Monell
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
OF John Mayberry, Jr.
IF Ruben Tejada
IF Eric Campbell
If Terry Collins and Sandy Alderson weren’t full of shit when they said this spring only the best 25 go north, then Johnny Monell is making a strong case to usurp Anthony Recker. It’s one spring training battle that’s still worth watching.
Starting Rotation:
RHP Jacob deGrom
RHP Matt Harvey
LHP Jon Niese
RHP Bartolo Colon
RHP Dillon Gee
It’s up to Gee to keep that number five rotation spot and Colon too for that matter. Waiting in Las Vegas and licking their chops is Syndergaard and Matz.
Give deGrom the Opening Day start, he earned it both last year and this Spring. Hey Terry… Reward excellence when you see it!
Bullpen:
CL Jenrry Mejia
RHP Jeurys Familia
RHP Vic Black
RHP Carlos Torres
RHP Rafael Montero
LHP Dario Alvarez
RHP Buddy Carlyle
Sean Gilmartin is as good as gone. We’ve heard his stuff is flat with no distinguishable major league offerings and it has shown in his lackluster performance.
Leathersich and Rice have done nothing to earn the lefty spot, and I only have Alvarez in the bullpen by default.
I bet the Mets will import a lefty reliever from outside the organization, they just have to.
Montero is a 95 percent certainty to make this team. What happens after Parnell returns? That’s in the hands of Black, Carlyle and Raffy. The worst of them will hit the sands of Nevada.
Okay, let’s go, I want to know what you agree or disagree with.Bring it on…
