3 Opening Day roster decisions the Mets still needs to make

New York Mets Opening Day arrives next Thursday and like soon-to-be first-time parents, they’re not quite set for delivery despite knowing when they’d have to have it all prepared. The Edwin Diaz injury threw a wrench into the team’s plans. So have injuries to other players and shockingly poor or good performances.

The Mets are pretty much set with a few important decisions remaining. Who will they pick, how will they order them, and which members of the organization will soon become a distant memory?

1) NY Mets still need to finalize their bullpen

This is probably the last decision most teams make. Bullpens are difficult to build because relievers tend to flame out quickly or come from out of nowhere.

The Mets have their share of bullpen spots up for grabs. Diaz’s injury opens up a more realistic opportunity for Tommy Hunter to crack the team. In fact, why waste time and go with anyone else?

John Curtiss has already won a job. It looks like the Mets will either have Elieser Hernandez as the long man or forgo the use of one and give Dennis Santana a shot.

One player who has yet to lose or win a gig is Stephen Nogosek. The out of options reliever started off the spring well but has seen his ERA inflate after recent outings. It could be a chase between him and Santana for one of the bullpen spots. If the team decides to not carry Hernandez, it’s a battle the two could continue to wage into the regular season.

We’re all fully aware that the relievers the Mets have on Opening Day won’t be the ones they have at the end of the season. As true as it is, making smart choices early on will benefit them.

3) NY Mets have to set their rotation and confirm if it's a five or six-man group

The Mets will have Max Scherzer start on Opening Day with Justin Verlander getting the ball in the home opener at Citi Field. Everyone else is a bit more unknown. The team could even deploy a six-man rotation to begin the year and revisit it regularly.

The names are known at this time. The injury to Jose Quintana has pushed David Peterson and Tylor Megill into more regular action with at least one ready to take control of a rotation spot until the veteran lefty returns.

Who the Mets choose to be their number two starter this year will be interesting. Kodai Senga has always made the most sense to put in as the number four guy to help ease him into the five-man rotation due to some extra off-days in April. Could this bump Carlos Carrasco up to number two or is a six-man rotation out of the gate enough to help him adjust?

In whatever way these five or even six starters begin the year, we’ll see changes throughout the season. An injury or a starter feeling the need to skip a start will alter it. Starting rotations at the start of an MLB season are not much different than the first line an NHL team puts on the ice for a game. After about 45 seconds, five new players are on the ice. And if the Mets see a better way to set their rotation after one trip through, Buck Showalter won’t hesitate to make a change.