FanSided

3 biggest roster questions to answer before Opening Day

By Tim Boyle |
New York Mets v Pittsburgh Pirates
New York Mets v Pittsburgh Pirates / Justin Berl/GettyImages
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The New York Mets roster right now is a pretty good one. Stop me if you’ve heard that before. It seems to be a theme most years.

But really, they did a lot to improve themselves! They got Max Scherzer for the rotation, Starling Marte for center field, and added the veteran bats of Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha to the lineup.

There’s work left to do and questions to answer before the first pitch of the 2022 season is thrown. These are three of the biggest.

Who will the NY Mets trade before Opening Day?

An ongoing question no one has the answer to: who will the Mets trade before Opening Day?

There is no shortage of candidates on the roster with three position players currently ahead of everyone else.

J.D. Davis and Dominic Smith have been top trade targets on the Mets for more than just this offseason. For a variety of reasons, they have been joined by Jeff McNeil as yet another potential trade chip on the roster.

The Mets won’t be forced into trading any of these players. Hypothetically, they could open the year with all three still on the roster. This wouldn’t be such a bad plan. None are getting paid a lot, each can play multiple positions, and all have had success in the past.

Beyond those three, I would guess pitchers Tylor Megill and David Peterson are on the block. Each has had some good days but also some bad along the way as well. If the Mets are serious about winning in 2022, both of them should be viewed as nothing more than depth pieces they can turn to in case of emergency.

Someone on the Mets will get traded before Opening Day. The question we can’t answer just yet is who it will be.

New York Mets v Atlanta Braves
New York Mets v Atlanta Braves / Adam Hagy/GettyImages

Who will be the NY Mets fifth starter when the season begins?

Building on the momentum about Tylor Megill and David Peterson being potential Mets trade candidates, another pressing roster question involves the fifth starter in the rotation. He might already be here. The job may end up going to Carlos Carrasco or Taijuan Walker by way of getting moved down a spot.

We do know the Mets are expected to open the season with Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer at the top of the rotation. Add in those other two veterans and the team is left with only a single spot left to fill.

Do they do this through free agency? There are options out there. What about trades? The MLB offseason was temporarily cut short due to the lockout. Many of the trade candidates out there have yet to swap uniforms.

Internally, Megill and Peterson remain the club’s best options. However, if this is the best plan the club has, they may want to reconsider calling themselves serious about winning a championship.

A darkhorse candidate for the fifth starter job could even be Trevor Williams. I think he’s more in line to take over the long man role out of the bullpen. There should also be a sliver of thought that Seth Lugo could move from the bullpen to the rotation. That sliver should be like the cheesecake slices at the buffet—if you’ve been there, you know.

The Mets starting rotation appears like it will be either a great strength or a constant talking about as to how shallow it is. The performance of the three guys behind deGrom and Scherzer will determine the route.

New York Yankees v New York Mets
New York Yankees v New York Mets / Rich Schultz/GettyImages

Can the NY Mets bullpen be a strength?

The Mets have a decent bullpen already but they need at least one more lefty, probably two.

Returning to the relief corps we have closer Edwin Diaz along with Trevor May and Seth Lugo to set him up for saves. Miguel Castro is a middle innings workhorse and Drew Smith is a guy constantly showing we can depend on him.

Maybe I’m being fooled but I like the way the bullpen looks right now even without it being completed.

A good bullpen could be the difference for a team. It’s kind of scary. You never do know whether you’ve just signed the next Aaron Loup or Dellin Betances. A single injury can derail a player’s entire trajectory. Some good luck and proper use can have the exact opposite effect.

Teams with the best bullpens don’t always win a championship. On the contrary, the teams that win the championship tend to have a really good bullpen. It doesn’t need to be what carries you to the postseason. Once the playoffs start, it does need to be pretty rocksteady to get you a parade.

The Mets roster is a good one right now with far fewer remaining questions than some other teams out there. Before Opening Day, we can expect a trade, a new starter, and at least one arm for the bullpen.

Next. 5 worst pitching staffs in Mets history. dark

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