Paul Articulates – Spring Training Priorities

The off-season is still upon us, with many rumors still flying about yet-to-be-signed players and speculative trade deals.  But it is not that far from the day when pitchers and catchers report, so Carlos Mendoza and his coaching staff are likely already planning their priority list for that brief six weeks before the season.

It is tough to know everything that will need to be aligned because there are still player movements in process, but if spring training were to start today, these are some of the things at the top of the list to be addressed:

1) Sort out the infield positions.  The seemingly endless Pete Alonso free agent period  has to be close to resolution.  If he returns to the club, there is less to do because he will be the first baseman.  Francisco Lindor is anchored at short.  The variables are at second and third base.

• Second base could be wide open.  Even if Jeff McNeil remains with the Mets, he may not be the opening day second baseman until the outfield rotation is determined.  David Stearns mentioned that Brett Baty has learned to play second, and he would not just let that slip if there were not a reason.  LuisAngel Acuna will certainly make a strong bid for the position coming off a strong debut last fall and some impressive work in Venezuela this winter.  Ronny Mauricio has to prove he is back from injury, and if he is not fighting for a job at third, he will be fighting for a job at second.  Could Jett Williams be a darkhorse candidate here?  He has impressed at every level until he was injured last year so it is too early to count him out.

• Third base could be Mark Vientos’ position if Pete re-signs.  If not, then things open up in a hurry.  Many of the same candidates above could also vie for a hot corner spot.  The Mets have also brought in Luis De Los Santos (Toronto) and Jared Young (Cubs) for infield depth and they will both look for an opportunity to be more than a utility player.

2) Start stretching out Clay Holmes.  Holmes impressed last year in a relief role with the Yankees, eventually ending up as their closer in the postseason.  It was announced when Holmes was signed that he would become a starter, but he has not started a game since 2018 with Pittsburgh so there are no guarantees here.  Mendoza and Jeremy Hefner are going to have to keep a close eye on how this develops so they don’t waste a good arm on a role that doesn’t fit.  Pitchers usually get off to a slower start than hitters in the spring, so it will take quite a few outings both in the backfields and in the exhibition games to determine the success of this experiment.

3) Develop a plan for long relief.  Last season started poorly, and part of the problem seemed to be the lack of a solution for short starts.  None of the starters were going longer than five innings, and the constant rotation of arms out of the bullpen stressed the entire staff.  Inevitably one of the several pitchers to take the mound would have an “off day”, leading to a 24-33 record by the end of May.  This year, expect the starters to once again be slow to acquire the strength to go deep into games, so have a long relief solution.  Could that be Tylor Megill and/or Jose Butto in long relief?  Is a healthy Max Kranick a solution?  The Mets will need 3-4 innings out of multiple long relievers to get through the month of April.  Who will it be?

4) Five-or-six man rotation?  Last year, and again this year, there is talk of a six man rotation to allow more rest for Kodai Senga.  Last year it was felt that he needed the extra day because it was more like what he experienced in Japan.  This year he is going to need the rest to ensure full recovery from an injury-filled 2024 season.  If the Mets win the Sasaki sweepstakes, they will have a second Japanese pitcher used to more rest that could drive a six-man rotation.  I am in favor of this approach, but it needs arms to support.  We just spoke of long relief help, and if you commit a couple arms to long relief it will be difficult to find an additional six starters.

Those are my top four priorities.  Of course there could be many different scenarios that could jumble the list based upon the remaining off-season activity.  But as it stands now this is what I would focus on.  So how will it turn out?  I’ll take a look in my crystal ball and make a few projections, for no other reason than to stimulate some discussion in the comments:

1) Paul Predicts: Pete signs, Vientos locks down at third, and LuisAngel takes the starting 2B position to create a very strong middle-infield combination with Lindor.  McNeil starts in right field because the Mets decide to use Marte as the DH. 

2) Paul Predicts: Clay Holmes starts a few games in April but it does not go well because he abandons the max effort pitches to maintain the stamina to pitch more innings.  Batters are very appreciative of the change and cash in.  With an ugly ERA, Holmes is back in the bullpen by May.  This is not entirely a bad thing unless there are health problems with the other starters.

3) Paul Predicts: The Mets begin with only Tylor Megill in a long-relief role.  They open with 13 pitchers on the roster.  Starters: Senga, Sasaki, Manaea, Peterson, Montas, and Holmes.  Diaz is the closer. That leaves five short relievers on the staff: Butto, Garrett, Reid-Foley, Nunez, and Danny Young.

4) Paul Predicts: The six-man rotation is established at the onset, but does not survive Holmes’ move to the pen.  Megill, Butto, and Blackburn all get a few starts, but the Mets need to win, so they revert to a five man rotation on May 16 when they begin a road trip in the Bronx.