When the 2024 season ended and the club marched on towards 2025, it was not without a lot of anticipation, player injuries and personnel changes that no one saw coming. Let’s have a look.
Obviously the biggest name on the table is the $765 million man Juan Soto. It was no secret that the Mets were going to pursue the darling of the free agent class. It was, however, something of a surprise that they landed him. The pure magnitude of the deal both in terms of dollars required and duration were a bit of a shocker while the competition from other teams made the pursuit no walk in the park, yet here is the end of spring training with the superstar wearing blue and orange.
Following behind him was the closer who would be starter Clay Holmes. While the Mets were sure it was the right move to make there were many out there who doubted that this change midway through Holmes’ career was not necessarily the right way to reinforce the starting rotation. Of course, his performance in Florida and his assignment to be the number one pitcher suggested that the front office was indeed right. No one could have anticipated the numbers he’d post but for now the ex Yankee is going to make some folks in the Bronx hiding their heads in shame for not seeing how he’d turn out.
Now bringing back some others to the club like Pete Alonso, Jesse Winker and Ryne Stanek. The Polar Bear soap opera at times seemed interminable but everyone knows what he can do with the bat and having another awesome hitter in the same lineup in Soto is going to help the club in a big way. Less certain is the Winker/Marte combined DH but restricting each to one type of pitching could indeed help. Stanek was a solid contributor last season while in New York and his return helps fortify the Mets pen with a reliable late inning right handed arm to accompany newcomer A.J. Minter from the left side.
Then there are the others who became a part of the Mets roster like A.J. Minter, Griffin Canning, Brett Baty, Max Kranick, Luisangel Acuna, Husascar Brazoban and Jose Siri. Canning, Baty, Kranick and Brazoban really played their way into the flight north alongside more familiar names and the injuries indeed opened up some roster spots. Acuna now has the chance to shine defensively and on the basepaths, but if Baty continues to play as he did in Port St. Lucie, then Acuna may be shipped out once McNeil returns. The one negative surprise here was Siri who definitely demonstrated his defensive skills but his home run power isn’t enough sometimes to compensate for his whiff work with the bat. Since both he and Tyrone Taylor are right handed I don’t know that you can call it a platoon.
Returning players included David Peterson, Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill, Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, Tyrone Taylor, Edwin Diaz, Jose Butto, Danny Young, Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger. The somewhat surprising names here are Young and Senger but injuries forced them onto the roster. Megill was not spectacular in Florida and had an option which as somewhat surprising to see him here, but sometimes known commodities get a leg up deserving or not.
Injured players right now include Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Paul Blackburn, Dedniel Nunez, Francisco Alvarez, Christian Scott, Drew Smith, Nick Madrigal, Jeff McNeil and Ronny Mauricio. Of this group, Manaea is already throwing, Nunez has been told to continue his rehabilitation in the warmer weather. The same advice was given the Mauricio. Montas, Blackburn, Alvarez and McNeil are all going to be out a bit longer.
Going into the 2025 season sees some faces not expected as well as the return of a great many who have excelled in the past. Right now everyone is simply waiting for the umpire to yell “Play ball!” in Houston to kick things off for real. There’s still a chance that another infielder emerges from elsewhere which would send Acuna directly to Syracuse, but otherwise the roster is set.
Let’s go Mets!
