3 toughest NY Mets roster decisions to make before Opening Day

The New York Mets find themselves only a few days away from the start of spring training games in Florida with plenty of decisions to make. With the full squad having reported to spring training, the issues the team face has started to grow.

The way the Mets' offseason has been reviewed by experts and fans alike has come with relatively high approval, but that underscores real questions with the Mets roster headed toward the beginning of a season filled with lofty expectations.

1) The Mets need to determine who will replace injured starter Frankie Montas in their six-man starting rotation.

Pitcher Frankie Montas suffered a high lat strain after feeling discomfort after a bullpen session. Despite the bad injury news, it has not changed the Mets' stance of opening the season with a six-man rotation. Situations like this were why David Stearns and friends decided to sign four starting pitchers this offseason.

One would figure the top four starters in the Mets rotation are, in some order, Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, David Peterson, and Clay Holmes, with Tylor Megill probably be the fifth starter. Which leaves one spot open, probably for two players who are currently on the 40-man roster, Griffin Canning, and Paul Blackburn.

Canning, despite a 5.19 ERA last year with the Angels, made 31 starts and pitched 171.2 innings, so he would be an innings eater, something the Mets will need from the back end of the rotation with Montas probably being out until June. Canning was one of the starting pitchers the Mets added this winter, and his early season usage could be immediate.

Blackburn, whom the Mets acquired in a trade last summer, brought mixed results in five starts before a hand contusion injury ended his season. Blackburn is hoping to be ready for Opening Day. He will need to demonstrate health to be considered, and effectiveness to make the rotation ahead of Canning.

It feels like the loser of a potential Blackburn-Canning roster battle will either be the Mets' long-relief option.

A name not mentioned, top pitching prospect Brandon Sproat, would need a good spring to be considered, but manager Carlos Mendoza appeared to have shut that window down for the moment.