Reese Kaplan -- Roster Permutations & Combinations

We’re getting down to the final days of Spring Training and there is still uncertainty about who will come north to New York to begin the season with the big club.  Let’s get the sure thing out of the way first:

Position Players (8)

Robinson Cano

Amed Rosario

Jeff McNeil

Wilson Ramos

Brandon Nimmo

Michael Conforto

Keon Broxton (out of options)

Juan Lagares (too expensive to trade)

Starting Pitchers (5)

Jacob deGrom

Noah Syndergaard

Zack Wheeler

Steven Matz

Jason Vargas

Relief Pitchers (5)

Edwin Diaz

Jeurys Familia

Seth Lugo

Robert Gsellman

Justin Wilson

On the Bubble (8)

Dom Smith

Pete Alonso

J.D. Davis

Luis Guillorme

Adeiny Hechavarria

Devin Mesoraco

Luis Avilan

Ryan O’Rourke

Long Shots (7)

Carlos Gomez

Rajai Davis

Gregor Blanco

Rymer Liriano

Kyle Dowdy

Tyler Bashlor

Tim Peterson

Walking Wounded (3)

Yoenis Cespedes

Todd Frazier

Jed Lowrie

Travis d’Arnaud (per Newsday)

Another way of looking at the roster decisions have to do with positions.  Starting you will need:

1B

2B          Robinson Cano

SS          Amed Rosario

3B          Jeff McNeil

LF           Brandon Nimmo

CF         

RF          Michael Conforto

C            Wilson Ramos

Now, of course, that’s just one way to go.  McNeil has been getting lots of time in the OF with the thought he would play there alongside Nimmo and Conforto when Lowrie is available to play 3B.  However, there needs to be some temporary finagling given the Lowrie and Frazier injuries.

Another way to go would be to use J.D. Davis at 3B and start McNeil in LF with Nimmo shifting to CF.  Given Davis’ flirtation with .300 all spring, that’s an offensive oriented approach and another right handed bat in the lineup.  However, the scuttlebutt out of spring training is that the Mets were less than happy with the former Astro’s defense at 3B. 

Even more out-of-the-box would be to start Dom Smith in LF with Nimmo in CF, Pete Alonso at 1B and McNeil at 3B.  Last year Smith looked fairly lost in the OF, but when you’re hitting .349 you probably want to get creative to keep the bat in the lineup. 

My take is that the temporary overcrowding will be solved with Pete Alonso in AAA for a few weeks, Smith starting at 1B, McNeil at 3B and one of the two Gold Glove types in CF.  That would make room on the bench for J.D. Davis, a backup shortstop and a backup catcher.  One more bench player would be needed.

If were up to me I would make Luis Guillorme the backup shortstop, Devin Mesoraco the backup catcher and the extra player would be Travis d’Arnaud.  That way they could minimize d’Arnaud’s strain while allowing him time to heal.  If he continues swinging a decent bat, then he could become trade bait.   (This recommendation preceded Newsday's revelation that the Mickey Callaway said TdA isn't ready yet defensively or offensively).  In that case the extra player may be someone who will ride the Syracuse shuttle but more likely it will create space for Hechavarria.  

On Mesoraco – he, Hechavarria, Avilan, Rajai Davis and others have what are called upward mobility clauses.  They have the right to try to land a 40-man roster position with another club.  If they do, that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily gone.  The Mets can then do the same and pay them whatever salary they agreed upon when they inked the minor league deal.  

In some cases, like Mesoraco, the Mets had the option to extend that deadline by making a $100,000 payment which they declined to do.)

For the bullpen I think Avilan is close to a no-brainer.  The Ryan O’Rourke one is a little surprising given his status coming into spring training, but his pitching has been outstanding and his recent post-injury minor league success was remarkable.  It would then give the Mets a 7-man pen with three lefties – Wilson, Avilan and O’Rourke.  Wow, when was the last time that happened?

Where is gets really interesting is when the IL players return and Pete Alonso passes his service time deadline.  There will be no room at the inn.