As Mets players start to officially report, spring training has finally begun, and with that comes position battles and roster changes. Whether a prospect wins a job outright or a last-minute addition to the roster is made, what the Mets’ roster looks like in late February won’t be the same on Opening Day.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns knows that all too well. His first offseason in Flushing has been more measured. He's signed short-term deals with veteran pitchers and added bullpen and bench depth to a roster that will enter the 2024 season with largely the same starters from a year ago.
But that doesn’t mean everything is set in stone.
“We have some spots in the bullpen. Last two or so spots in the pen where there will be some competition,” Stearns told the media Tuesday. “We have some spots at the back end of the position player grouping as well. The DH spot, bench role or platoon bat spot. We also know things change over the course of camp. Injuries will pop up inevitably that will change how we look at certain roles.”
Stearns added that from a competition standpoint, he doesn’t really “drill” into it until the second week of March when he and the rest of the organization assess the team’s injury outlook and who is on track to play on Opening Day.
That process allows Stearns to let his young players like Brett Baty and Mark Vientos prove to the organization that they belong in the big leagues. Both have experience at the major league level already but have not distinguished themselves as players you should pencil in as starters, especially at third base.
Stearns recognizes that position will be a battle, not just amongst the youngsters but with some of the veterans he has brought on this offseason.
“We believe in Brett [at third base],” Stearns said. “We believe that Mark Vientos can also play that position. We’ve got Joey Wendle. Zack Short has played that position at a high level in the past. There will be some level of competition there."
