Mets wisely taking fliers on players who deserve a chance

Among the positive decisions made by the New York Mets this offseason, their willingness to take fliers on veteran free agents on affordable deals is one of the best.

What will be different about the 2019 New York Mets? They have the same starting rotation, lots of familiar names in the starting lineup, and the owners, well, let’s not get into them here.

The Mets accomplished a lot of nice things over the winter. Most impressive is the plethora of depth they’ve added. This was an issue heading into 2018 and one that became an actual problem when players began to go down with serious injuries.

Things could be different this year. They have multiple major league players at Spring Training vying for a 25-man or even a 40-man roster spot. While not a new concept for MLB teams, the Mets went above and beyond adding talent.

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Most recently, it’s the addition of Carlos Gomez which adds some extra security. Gomez is coming off of a horrible year with the Tampa Bay Rays after a much better year in 2017 with the Texas Rangers. He’s not the All-Star player he once was yet still someone who could contribute as a fourth or fifth outfielder in the major leagues.

Signings guys like Gomez to camp adds more possibilities. They already had experienced veterans like Rajai Davis and Gregor Blanco prepared to fight for a roster spot. Now, they’ve created even more depth behind the guarantees to make the big league roster.

They didn’t stop in the outfield. Adeiny Hechavarria may very well open the year with the big league team. In a move nobody really saw coming, the Mets gave themselves a quality defender to consider for Opening Day. Injuries to Todd Frazier and Jed Lowrie may assist Hechavarria in earning his way onto the Opening Day roster as an infield-specific utility man capable of playing up the middle and third base.

Maybe the one weakness the Mets still have is a lack of reliable starting pitching depth. They did sign Hector Santiago, but beyond him, the next up in line after Jason Vargas is Corey Oswalt. Kyle Dowdy and Walker Lockett are another pair of options. However, Dowdy’s status as a Rule 5 Draft pick puts them in a predicament to either carry him on the big league roster or return him to the Cleveland Indians.

Many of the names mentioned here are guys who are either coming off of down years or have steadily declined over the last few seasons. They are competing for both Opening Day roster spots and playing time in the minor leagues.

Taking chances like the ones the Mets were willing to make this offseason can pay off. Every Major League Baseball season has at least a few guys who come from seemingly nowhere to shine.

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None of the guys the Mets added to the organization this winter may have the same type of year as Max Muncy did last year, but that doesn’t mean they were bad decisions. Brodie Van Wagenen added role-players to a franchise in need of more options. Although we’ll say farewell to some of these additions before the season begins, the team at least has put themselves in a spot to recall several throughout the year and head into 2019 with a better bench and/or bullpen.