Speaking with Tim Healey of Newsday, New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen seemed eager to turn the page after a mostly tumultuous offseason in Flushing.
Following a litany of dramatic sagas this winter — Carlos Beltran‘s historically-short tenure as Mets skipper, the current regime’s now-familiar modus operandi of minimal action on the free-agent market, and most recently, the deterioration of billionaire hedge-fund manager Steve Cohen’s proposed purchase of the team — it’s fair to say Spring Training can’t come soon enough.
The Mets’ second-year GM — and presumably all other blue and orange parties involved — appear to share similar sentiments.
“I’m very excited to see guys in uniforms, with baseball gloves in their hands, baseball bats in their hands. I think everyone is ready for baseball season. Full stop.”
In what’s shaping up to be a hotly-contested National League East this season, Van Wagenen appears comfortable with this specific group heading into camp, though he notes “obviously, circumstances can change”.
As for figuring out how to make all the talent on this roster fit just right this season — in turn, maximizing individual potentials and overall value to the ball club — Van Wagenen points to the Mets’ depth as its saving grace.
“If we have complete health for everyone that’s on the roster, we’ll be excited to see how roles and matchups end up working out [this spring],” Van Wagenen said. “Really, it’s a matter of having as many players capable of playing multiple positions as possible and determining if there are certain players who aren’t capable of playing certain positions.”
Between the valid health concerns of Jed Lowrie and Yoenis Cespedes, if things work out well in both players’ cases, that could be a huge positive for this roster. Accomplished major league hitters, ready in whatever role they’re needed, is never a bad thing for a contending team.
Finding consistent playing time for guys like J.D. Davis and Dominic Smith, each fresh off their own respective breakout campaigns (.307/.369/.527, 136 wRC+ in 453 PA for Davis; .282/.355/.525, 133 wRC+ in 197 PA for Smith), figures to be a tall task. But, again, having too many talented players on a roster should never be considered a problem.
We’ll keep you posted with more updates from Port St. Lucie as they come in. Keep it locked onto MMO.
Check out Brodie Van Wagenen’s full conversation with Tim Healey of Newsday via the link above.
