The New York Mets have made a whopping 18 additions to their 40-man roster when compared to last season, which is a reflection of the changing times that new owner Steve Cohen and president Sandy Alderson preached when they took over.
The Mets now look like one of the best teams in the National League, but whether they are capable of keeping up with the Padres, Dodgers, and Braves remains to be seen. For now, they look vastly improved, having brought star shortstop Francisco Lindor, catcher James McCann, relievers Trevor May and Aaron Loup, starters Carlos Carrasco, Joey Lucchesi, Taijuan Walker, and other pieces.
“I feel really good about the roster,†general manager Zack Scott said per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. “As it is right now, I think we’re pretty settled with the 40-man. We may have some other types of non-roster deals, and there may be other opportunities that present themselves during the spring, but I feel very good about the group that we have here.â€
The Mets went to work during the whole offseason
The Mets entered the offseason with several holes in the rotation. They started on the right foot, when Marcus Stroman accepted the qualifying offer. Then, they brought Carrasco, Lucchesi, Walker, Jordan Yamamoto, and Jerad Eickhoff.
They also welcomed free agent infielder Jonathan Villar, who will fight for at-bats. However, the expectation is that Jeff McNeil handles second most nights, and JD Davis is penciled as the starting first baseman despite some defensive issues there.
Asked whether the Mets were happy entering camp with Davis as their starting third baseman, acting general manager Zack Scott replied: “Yes, definitely.†The former Astro had a stellar 2019, but hit .247 with a .761 OPS last season.
“I said this before: J.D. Davis is a really strong player for our organization,†Scott said. “We have some versatility with some of the other guys that we brought in here, so I feel really good about it.â€