Several Mets plan to play in World Baseball Classic, but some concerned about timing
Mets starter Max Scherzer throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) Credit: AP/Morry Gash
MILWAUKEE — Spring training 2023 will look a little different for a bunch of these patriotic Mets.
In addition to Pete Alonso, who revealed last month that he will play for the United States in the World Baseball Classic next March, other standout Mets will dot rosters across the quadrennial international tournament.
Francisco Lindor, Edwin Diaz and Seth Lugo intend to play for Puerto Rico, as they did last time. Starling Marte said his participation with the Dominican Republic isn’t official yet but he plans to play. Taijuan Walker is in discussions to suit up for Mexico, and Luis Guillorme will do the same — either for Spain, if it qualifies, or for Venezuela, which has backchanneled interest in having him.
“Hell yeah,” Lindor said. “As Puerto Ricans, we look forward to that event.”
Diaz added: “Puerto Rico has a really good team. Every big-league player from Puerto Rico feels happy to get the tournament back, because I think we got a chance to win the gold.”
And Marte: “I’m ready to battle out there for my flag.”
When the WBC last was held, in 2017, the United States beat Puerto Rico for the championship, so the Mets’ trio feel as if they have some unfinished business. This edition of the tournament was supposed to happen in 2021 but was delayed two years by the pandemic.
But now the WBC is coming back, and it seems to be drawing a greater degree of interest from the game’s stars, who often haven’t wanted to participate in the past. Joining Alonso on Team USA, for example, are Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Mookie Betts, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto and others.
That greater interest extends to the Mets’ clubhouse. Jeff McNeil, an All-Star and batting title contender who has played well at three positions for the Mets this year, recently said he is interested in playing for the United States but hadn’t been recruited yet.
Diaz said his brother, Alexis Diaz of the Reds, will join him with the Puerto Ricans. Walker is eligible to play for Mexico because he is one-quarter Mexican, through his maternal grandmother.
Guillorme, who was born in Venezuela but has been a citizen of Spain his whole life, is giving first dibs to the latter, which included him on the roster during the pre-2017 qualifiers. Spain will clinch a spot in the 2023 WBC if it beats Britain on Tuesday.
“It’s not like I like one more than the other,” Guillorme said. “One gave me the chance [last time].”
It’s a little trickier for starting pitchers, whose preseason buildup is managed down to the day. Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt were skeptical that participating in the tournament — which will run from March 8-20 — is worth the risk. Those games will be far more intense than the spring training exhibitions their teammates will be participating in at that time.
“As a position player, I’d do it in a heartbeat. It’s awesome. It’s really cool,” Bassitt said. “For relievers, it’s not that big of a deal. But for starters, the timeline scares me. I think you’re having to be ready too fast too early. You can do that, that’s not a problem, but if you’re on a winning team, you’re probably going to be ready three weeks earlier than normal. Is that going to affect you at the very back end of the season when the games mean the most?”
Scherzer was going to play for the United States in 2017 — — in part because his old Tigers manager, Jim Leyland, was the manager — before getting hurt in the offseason.
He would have to move up his usual Jan. 1 throwing program start date to, say, Dec. 15.
“There’s a lot of ways for it to go wrong,” he said. “It could be setting up for a really long next year. I don’t know if I want that or not.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
