With Roster Coming Into Shape, Mets Sticking To Their Word

With their most recent slew of moves, the Mets roster is starting to take shape.

On Saturday, New York cut pitchers Hector Santiago and Ryan O’Rourke, infielder Adeiny Hechavarria and outfielders Carlos Gomez and Rajai Davis. Hechavarria came as a bit of a surprise since the Mets were prepared to pay him $3 million if he made the team and wined and dined him. But it just goes to show, they have stuck to their word: They are going to take the best 25 players north with them.

The only true uncertainties at this point are if Travis d’Arnaud will start the season on the injured list, and if Rule 5 pick Kyle Dowdy will break camp with the team or be offered back to the Cleveland Indians.

Infielder Luis Guillorme outplayed Hechavarria this spring and has likely earned himself a bench spot. Dominic Smith has matched Pete Alonso tit for tat, so the pair of first basemen will likely both be on the Opening Day roster. Tomas Nido outperformed Devin Mesoraco and could make his first Opening Day squad if d’Arnaud begins the season on the shelf.

Since the fall when Brodie Van Wagenen was sworn in as the new Mets’ GM he voiced that he would start the season with the best 25 men. That included Alonso, who if the Mets kept in the minors for a dozen or so days to kick off the year, they would gain an extra year of control out of him.

That hasn’t stopped them from rewarding Alonso, who has had a stellar spring, with a likely starting first base role to begin the 2019 season.

Van Wagenen has proclaimed the Mets as the team to beat in the NL East and New York will now do the best that they can to compete with Washington, Atlanta and Philadelphia, who have also improved this winter.

While the Mets do have some question marks such as how effective Steven Matz and Jason Vargas will be at the back end of the rotation, if Dowdy pans out if he makes the team and if the remainder of the team can stay healthy, it’s refreshing to see the team looking to break camp with players such as Guillorme and Nido or d’Arnaud instead of veterans with known ceilings.