Does Our Contingency Plan Need a Contingency Plan?

As the time to opening day shrinks, the Mets injury list grows. Most recently we hear that Shaun Marcum will miss his next start due to a shoulder impingement. There is currently no timetable for Marcum’s return. He received a cortisone shot on Tuesday and the Front Office will only say that they “will back him off” for a few days. Marcum suffered similar shoulder stiffness last spring, and then lost 2 months during the season with elbow problems. The uncertainty with Marcum, coupled with the fact that Johan Santana is now almost sure to be on the sidelines for opening day, means that 2/5 of the Mets’ projected rotation may not be able to take the hill at season’s start. Starting pitching was supposed to be a strength of this team, which is not expected to win all that many games in 2013.

Adding injury to insult, the other pillar of the 2013 Mets, its infield, is also in shambles. David Wright continues to suffer with “back problems”, the result of a mild intercostal strain. Daniel Murphy, whose own intercostal strain has kept him from game action since the start of Spring Training, experienced soreness after playing defense only for five innings of a minor league game last weekend. Wright continues to maintain that “Opening Day is my goal," and Terry Collins appears to be taking him at his word, but he is doubtful about Murphy. Nonetheless, it seems that 2/5 of the starting infield, just like the rotation, may not be on the field come April 1. Right now, Justin Turner would be the likely replacement for either player if they cannot start the season, but Turner is still not recovered from his own injury, an ankle sprain. The Mets are hoping for Justin to return to the lineup on Friday. If both David and Daniel are still hurting come opening day, Turner would likely start at third, while Jordany Valdespin, who is having a first rate spring, would get the nod at second.

The infield dilemma merely serves to highlight the lack of depth on the Mets right now. Justin Turner is the Mets primary option off the bench, and the bench is where he is best suited to be. I would personally like to see the Alderson/Collins brain trust give the third base job to Zach Lutz if Wright needs to be rested at the start of the season. Lutz has always hit well in the minors and he has some pop, which Turner lacks. We should see what Lutz has to offer as a bench player, and perhaps give him a bit of a showcase in the event he might be appealing to some other team this year, since he has no chance of starting for the Mets until 2020. In Murphy’s absence at second base, I think Valdespin should be the number one option. While his play this spring has likely won him a spot on the 25 man roster anyway, he deserves to be a regular, and second base is his natural position. His play in the outfield will only continue to improve, since he is an excellent athlete, but he still looks more comfortable in the infield.

Getting back to the rotation, Jeremy Hefner has already been tapped to move into the rotation in Santana’s place. But what about if Marcum also cannot take his place? Jenrry Mejia is suffering from forearm tendonitis and cannot be counted on. That's really a shame, since it would be nice to see if Jenrry is finally ready for prime time after the way he was mishandled by the organization previously. With Mejia out of the picture, it seems that Aaron Laffey would be the choice to fill in for Marcum. No, this is no Laffing matter. The Mets already seemed intent on stretching Laffey out even before Marcum’s setback, having scheduled him to make the start on Saturday. I wasn't enamored with signing Laffey in the first place, and I'm still no big Laffey supporter, since I believe he is much more effective in relief than as a starter. So I'm looking for Laffey alternatives. Collin McHugh might be another option, but he has had a lackluster spring thus far, removing him from serious contention for now. And what’s that you say? I heard a whisper from the back about Zack somebody. Don’t even think about it! The Front Office seems intent on giving Wheeler the experience he needs at AAA before exposing him to the perils that await him in Citifield. Maybe this is a time to give Darin Gorski his shot. Gorski is 25 years old now, and after a stellar 2011 he came back to Earth somewhat at AA Binghamton in 2012. But nevertheless his season was solid. Laffey already has had several spotty years in the majors, most recently primarily in relief. So why not see what we might get from Gorski? That's the way I see it, but as usual, the powers that be probably don't see it quite the same way. So Laff all you want, the Mets may have a Laffey on the mound this April.