Projecting the Mets' Opening Day roster: bullpen, bench, rotation intrigue
The Mets' Tim Locastro is hit by a pitch thrown by Venezuela starting pitcher Enmanuel De Jesus during the first inning of an exhibition game Thursday in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Credit: AP/Lynne Sladky
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — With Opening Day less than three weeks away, the Mets face about as many roster questions as they did at the start of spring training — which is to say, not many.
But a few developments, from Jose Quintana’s injury to the performances of the many relievers competing for bullpen jobs to a non-roster invitee making a run at a bench spot, have added an extra level of intrigue.
Here is our latest educated guess at what the Mets’ season-opening roster will look like.
Rotation
1. RHP Max Scherzer
2. RHP Justin Verlander
3. RHP Kodai Senga
4. RHP Carlos Carrasco
5. LHP David Peterson
Quintana is out indefinitely with a rib stress fracture, so the Mets need a replacement. Peterson gets the nod here over Tylor Megill as a result of their performances in 2022. Both have been fine in camp. Peterson (bruised foot) is due to return to Grapefruit League action Tuesday against the Nationals.
A fun little subplot: The Mets still haven’t named their Opening Day starter. The bet here is that they will go to Scherzer, based on the way the exhibition rotation has lined up (Scherzer, Verlander, Senga).
Lineup
6. C Omar Narvaez
7. 1B Pete Alonso
8. 2B Jeff McNeil
9. 3B Eduardo Escobar
10. SS Francisco Lindor
11. LF Mark Canha
12. CF Brandon Nimmo
13. RF Starling Marte
14. DH Daniel Vogelbach
The Mets’ good health fortune from last year with this group has continued, so there aren’t any questions. Starling Marte (double groin surgery) finally got into an exhibition game Friday and Brandon Nimmo (deliberately slow build-up) is set to do the same Sunday. But both are expected to be plenty ready for the start of the season.
Bench
15. IF Luis Guillorme
16. C Tomas Nido
17. OF Tommy Pham
18. DH/1B/OF Darin Ruf
The greatest source of intrigue here: Would the Mets make room for spring training standout Tim Locastro? If so, how?
Locastro is about as hot as any Mets hitter, batting .391 with an 1.109 OPS after going 2-for-3 Friday, and he brings an element of speed and outfield defense that the team otherwise doesn’t have. He has been a below-average hitter but a strong defender across parts of six seasons in the majors (including the past two with the Yankees).
Carrying Locastro to open the season would require subtracting someone else, either the eighth reliever (unlikely) or one of the bench players above. Ruf recently returned to the field, but his right wrist has bothered him for years, so you never know when that might become an issue.
“Guys playing well will make you think about different avenues you could go and feel comfortable with. Especially if there’s an injury,” manager Buck Showalter said, noting of Locastro: “Good runner, good defender, good energy. Ball takes a couple hops, you better hurry [or Locastro will take an extra base]. All the things we hope to see.”
Bullpen
19. RHP Edwin Diaz
20. RHP Adam Ottavino
21. RHP David Robertson
22. LHP Brooks Raley
23. RHP Drew Smith
24. RHP Stephen Nogosek
25. RHP Zach Greene
26. RHP John Curtiss
The top five spots are locks, and the sixth just about is at this point. Nogosek entered camp with an inside track at winning a job by virtue of his performance last year (2.45 ERA in a dozen appearances) and remaining minor-league options (none). He’s tossed four shutout innings in three exhibition games.
Greene had a couple of recent rough line scores, which Showalter downplayed (noting after one that he should have had a couple of strikeouts that were not called). He is a Rule 5 pick who has to be on the roster or offered to other teams. The thinking here is the Mets will remain interested enough to keep Greene into the season and see what he looks like in real games.
The last spot is interesting. The Mets seem comfortable without a Trevor Williams-esque long reliever/ swingman, with Showalter saying recently: “I’m not sure we’re going to come out of here [with that kind of pitcher], but we’re looking for it. It’s hard.”
So let’s leave out Joey Lucchesi and Elieser Hernandez for now.
Curtiss has drawn consistent praise from Showalter, who highlighted his previous effectiveness and trustworthiness for a good team (the 2020 Rays) before missing last season because of Tommy John surgery. Curtiss can be sent to the minors, but so can a bunch of other candidates, including Sam Coonrod, Jeff Brigham and Bryce Montes de Oca (and Tommy Hunter, who is on a minor-league contract).
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.
