3 biggest Opening Day roster questions

Will J.D. Davis be on the Mets Opening Day roster?

I’m convinced J.D. Davis will not be traded by the Mets before Opening Day. It just doesn’t make much sense at this point outside of them adding a high-leverage lefty reliever at the level of Josh Hader. I’m equally as convinced the Milwaukee Brewers are hoping to win this year which means keeping Hader on their team.

Adding to the Davis question, will Jeff McNeil and Dominic Smith be present when attendance is called on Opening Day? Yet again, I believe so.

It’s kind of amazing how all offseason we figured one of these three would be traded. McNeil could have headlined a deal to acquire a starting pitcher. Davis and/or Smith could have bolstered a different kind of trade with a few prospects added in. Instead of trading any of the three away, the Mets held on.

Davis and Smith are probably unsafe from lasting the full season on the Mets roster. In midseason, with someone like Mark Vientos or Brett Baty possibly big league ready, one of them could end up as a trade deadline piece.

To answer the question, yes! Davis will be on the Opening Day roster. He’ll be on the bench, rooting his teammates on, and ready for any at-bats Buck Showalter throws his way.

What do the Mets bench and bullpen look like?

The bench depends on who you’re starting. Likely, the four-man band will have Davis and Smith (or Robinson Cano) on it along with Tomas Nido and Luis Guillorme. No surprises here!

The bullpen will, realistically, have only one open spot. It’s the lefty reliever position that we have to question until the team actually makes a bigger move.

The Opening Day roster is pretty clear cut. But with unforeseen injuries, we can ask one other question: who’s next in line?

If the Mets need an outfielder, Khalil Lee or Nick Plummer should get a roster spot. I’d favor Lee because the organization is already familiar with him. Newcomer Travis Jankowski is another option but I’m partial to the potential of the younger guys. The infield would have Travis Blankenhorn receive a promotion. He’s versatile which gives him a nice advantage over many other options. Another newcomer to the organization, Tzu-Wei Lin, could find his way onto the 40-man roster at some point. A lefty-hitter like Blankenhorn, I don’t see much of a difference between the two.

An injury in the bullpen could result in an appearance from Yennsy Diaz, Jake Reed, Sean Reid-Foley, or Jordan Yamamoto. It would probably depend on who got hurt. Reed is the only “true reliever” of this group. The others are former starters who can give the Mets length in relief.

You can fill out the rest of the Mets roster with all of the names you’re already familiar with. But beware, hamstrings can tighten up and suitcases can close on fingertips. Weird things always seem to happen before Opening Day. The Mets are not immune.