NY Mets roster: 3 imperfections about an otherwise good-looking team

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How ‘bout them New York Mets? Even if you thought they got better this offseason, you’re probably feeling like they will exceed your expectations in 2022.

As good as they are, they remain imperfect. That’s just how even the best baseball teams are. Every Death Star has its exhaust port.

The Mets are not immune to this. Through the early part of 2022, these are three imperfections lingering around what looks to be one of the best teams in the game.

Mets imperfection: Robinson Cano and everything about him

Robinson Cano is getting regular playing time this season and not just as the DH. Buck Showalter has used him at second base often as well. However, the veteran infielder who could soon become the all-time leader in home runs for a second baseman has started off weakly.

It’s not a huge issue for the Mets because of the other options they have. The problem is the salary Cano gets deposited into his bank account. His contract is still a big one and the Mets seem willing to let this become a reason to play him regularly until he figures it out.

Cano arrived to the Mets in 2019 with a PED suspension from the previous year. Poor play added fuel to the sports-hatred fire in 2019. A successful 2020 campaign could have won fans over until Cano failed yet another PED test and was suspended for all of 2021 because of it.

There’s little chance Cano can possibly redeem himself other than to voluntarily retire or start playing better. With a salary hit of just over $20 million (the Seattle Mariners are paying $3.75 million of his $24 million owed this season), he’s an expensive part-time player whose production is nowhere near what he’s getting paid.

Arizona Diamondbacks v New York Mets / Dustin Satloff/GettyImages

Mets imperfection: The catching situation

As much as fans may adore Tomas Nido, he’s not a good enough catcher to start playing every day. This means the Mets are stuck with James McCann behind the plate. It’s not a huge issue when the rest of the team can provide offense. It just doesn’t look good when the best hitting catcher in the state of New York right now might be in Binghamton.

Nido isn’t meant to hit well and any offensive production the Mets get from him should come as a surprise. He was a light-hitter in the minor leagues and outside of a few clutch moments, he remains a catcher we can expect to hit .220 at best.

McCann, on the other hand, has hit well in the recent past. His four-year deal with the club is only in its second year and things don’t look to be getting better. He has regressed back to his Detroit Tigers days or worse. The offensive player he was in two years with the Chicago White Sox has completely disappeared.

It does help the Mets a little bit that they do have the DH each game. However, when that DH is a weak-hitting Cano, there are days when there are two black holes in the starting lineup. Unfortunately, there’s not much the team can do about the catchers.

Mets imperfection: A lack of minor league options on the roster

We’ll see this come into play real soon when the rosters reduce from 28 to 26. A lack of minor league options for many of the Mets players will lead the team to make some tough decisions.

On offense, the Mets will probably have to DFA Travis Jankowski. Luis Guillorme, J.D. Davis, and Dominic Smith are all options to send to the minor leagues but they have their importance, too. Davis and Smith have hit in the past and remain in the mix for regular starts on this team. Guillorme’s roster spot may only be safe because the club has few defensive options on the infield and no one else to backup Francisco Lindor at shortstop.

Pitching is more complicated. It should solve itself with one spot when Sean Reid-Foley is designated for assignment. David Peterson is probably the player getting sent to the minor leagues once Taijuan Walker comes back, too. However, it’s as the season progresses when the Mets may have some difficulties finding a fresh arm.

Only Seth Lugo and Drew Smith have minor league options left in the bullpen. Everyone else would need to be designated for assignment. Buck Showalter will need to be cautious and conscious of this throughout the year. A guy like Trevor Williams may be asked to take one for the team. Alerts about position players pitching could happen more often simply to save arms for a game the Mets need to win.

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3 imperfections about an otherwise solid Mets roster

Mets imperfection: Robinson Cano and everything about him

Mets imperfection: The catching situation

Mets imperfection: A lack of minor league options on the roster

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