Due to poor weather conditions being expected in the Flushing area, the start of the Mets 2024 campaign got postponed to Friday.
With the weather postponement, the finalization of the blue and oranges roster got delayed as well.
On Thursday afternoon, the team officially announced who will wear blue and orange when the first pitch is thrown against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The bullpen battle winners
A competition that began with a plethora of competitors finally has its pair of winners.
Michael Tonkin and Yohan Ramírez were announced to have claimed the final two spots in the Mets bullpen.
Tonkin made five appearances this spring, pitching 7.2 innings while allowing no runs to score and striking out seven.
The California native will likely be primarily utilized as the team’s long reliever.
Ramírez made seven appearances this spring, pitching 10 innings to a 1.80 ERA with a 0.90 WHIP and striking out 11 while also picking up a pair of saves.
Sean Reid-Foley became the odd-arm out, and with him out of minor league options, was expected to be released. However, the right-hander was placed on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement, keeping him within the organization for the time being.
The final bench spot… for now.
After a tightly contested battle with multiple position players fighting for the last bench spot, 2023 second-half hero D.J. Stewart has made the opening day roster.
Stewart had a less-than-impressive spring, slashing .175/.340/.300 with one home run and one RBI across 40 plate appearances.
Despite his struggles at the dish this spring, the 30-year-old’s defensive versatility, along with proving at the end of last season that he could perform at the big league level, helped him secure the spot.
While Stewart may have earned the final roster spot, his time with the big league club may be numbered. The recently signed J.D. Martinez is ramping up in the minor leagues and will likely be called up as soon as he is ready, taking Stewart’s spot on the roster.