3 biggest roster questions to answer before Opening Day

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.