Possible Mets 26-man Opening Day roster

Spring training has been fairly uneventful for the Mets so far, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You could say the roster is starting to take shape, but that probably wouldn’t be accurate since the Major League was mostly in place before camp even opened up.

The only position battle is in the bullpen. There are two spots open in the bullpen, which doesn’t exactly make for the most intriguing competition. The Mets have been relatively healthy so far with the exception being left-hander Jose Quintana, and there are plenty of replacements for his rotation spot already.

The prospects have been the talk of the town this spring. Third baseman Brett Baty, third baseman/first baseman Mark Vientos, shortstop Ronny Mauricio and catcher Francisco Alvarez have all handled themselves well over the last month, with the first three showing off their hit tools and Alvarez showing improvements behind the plate.

But any excitement surrounding those four should be curtailed for now. Grapefruit League stats don’t really tell the full story and they have some established Major League competition on the depth chart. The Mets have continued to say that they need all of them to be able to defend at the Major League level before the club will be comfortable using them every day, but beyond the defensive concerns, there are other reasons to start all four in Triple-A.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at how the 26-man Opening Day roster could look. Keep in mind, the Opening Day roster will not be the one they play with all season.

CATCHER: OMAR NARVAEZ, TOMAS NIDO

Tomas Nido is a homegrown backstop trusted by the entire pitching staff. Omar Narvaez was once regarded as a bat-first catcher but significantly improved his framing in recent seasons. The Mets have two years committed to him, which allows Alvarez to continue to develop in Triple-A.

For the fans complaining that Narvaez hasn’t hit in spring training: It doesn’t really matter. Spring training results matter very little for veterans like Narvaez. But the Mets will see plenty of Alvarez behind the plate as Narvaez heads to the World Baseball Classic to play for Team Venezuela.

After undergoing ankle surgery last fall, the club was slow to put Alvarez behind the plate. But the ankle has not been an issue for him this spring and he’ll get a chance to show improved footwork, framing and agility behind the plate. He can continue to build on all of this plus build more confidence in Triple-A.

INFIELD: PETE ALONSO, JEFF MCNEIL, EDUARDO ESCOBAR, FRANCISCO LINDOR, LUIS GUILLORME

No surprises here. Expect Daniel Vogelbach and/or Darin Ruf to be behind Pete Alonso at first base and expect Danny Mendick to be the first infielder to be called up from Triple-A.

Baty has a 1.208 OPS and Vientos has a .923 OPS with two home runs, so they might give the Mets some tough decisions. However, the club still sees things that need to improve with both of them, like Baty’s defense and Vientos’ baserunning. In order for them to make those improvements, they need to be playing every day. They wouldn’t be able to do so at the Major League level.

Mauricio has three home runs this spring and he’s been hitting offspeed pitches, which is a good sign. The decision here isn’t whether he’ll make the Major League roster, it’s whether to move him to the outfield or keep him at shortstop and try to trade him.

OUTFIELD: MARK CANHA, BRANDON NIMMO, STARLING MARTE, TOMMY PHAM

Starling Marte is progressing slowly this spring after double groin surgery, so if he is unable to start the season then look for outfielder Tim Locastro to get a chance. The base-stealing specialist who spent time with the Yankees last season is having a stellar spring, leading the Mets in doubles and stolen bases.

Locastro has had a better spring than Tommy Pham, but the Mets’ have $5 million committed to Pham next season, and he has a better track record at the plate. However, Locastro is out of options so the Mets could keep him out of fear of losing him.

DESIGNATED HITTER: DANIEL VOGELBACH, DARIN RUF

This is going to be controversial with fans, but the Mets believe Ruf’s performance last season was an aberration. His wrist is somewhat concerning but should he start the season on the injured list it could open a spot for someone like Locastro since the Mets plan to use Pham as a DH against left-handed pitching on occasion.

ROTATION: RHP MAX SCHERZER, RHP JUSTIN VERLANDER, RHP KODAI SENGA, RHP CARLOS CARRASCO, LHP DAVID PETERSON

Quintana is currently sidelined with a stress fracture on his fifth rib on the left side. The Mets did not provide a timeline, but a typical return for this kind of injury is four to six weeks, possibly longer for a pitcher, so that would put him on the injured list to start the season.

Manager Buck Showalter has talked about the need for a lefty in the rotation, so David Peterson fits that description. The Mets could also turn to Joey Lucchesi, another left-hander, or they could put him in the Triple-A rotation to have an emergency starter stretched out.

BULLPEN: RHP EDWIN DIAZ, RHP DREW SMITH, RHP ADAM OTTAVINO, RHP DAVID ROBERTSON, LHP BROOKS RALEY, RHP TYLOR MEGILL, RHP, ZACH GREENE, RHP STEPHEN NOGOSEK

The Mets are probably going to carry eight relievers with at least one long man, but this could change. The decision regarding the last two spots could come down to this: Who don’t the Mets want to lose?

Right-hander John Curtiss was a key piece of the Tampa Bay Rays’ bullpen during their 2020 World Series run. He doesn’t need spring training to get ready since he had a heavy winter load after sitting out last season to rehab from Tommy John. He added a changeup and has been getting whiffs on it. Curtiss also has one more option year left, so he won’t have to pass through waivers like right-hander Stephen Nogosek. The Mets might be more inclined to keep someone like Nogosek early in the season knowing he might get picked up on waivers.

Zach Greene, a former Yankees farmhand, was a Rule 5 pick so he would have to pass through waivers and be offered back to the Yankees should the Mets not place him on the Opening Day roster. He was solid in his first two outings before struggling in his second two.

Lucchesi and right-hander Elieser Hernandez will likely end up starting in Syracuse, but both have shown a willingness to pitch out of the bullpen. Sam Coonrod, a waiver claim, is also in the mix.

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