Mets claim Tommy Milone off waivers

In their quest to add depth to an already-depleted starting rotation, the New York Mets have claimed pitcher Tommy Milone off of waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. Milone, 30, will presumably enter the Mets rotation as soon as possible. 

With injuries to Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, and Seth Lugo, New York had been scouting the open market for starting pitchers. The team was once connected to Doug Fister, Jake Peavy, Colby Lewis, and John Danks, but elected to go with the seven-year veteran Tommy Milone. 

Milone (pictured) allowed 15 ER in 21.0 IP for the Brew Crew

Milone began the 2017 season with Milwaukee, but did not fare well, posting a 6.43 ERA in six games (three starts). The 30-year old was once viewed as a suitable rotation piece with the Athletics, where he went 13-10 with a 3.74 ERA in 31 starts in 2012. However, after a trade to the Minnesota Twins in 2014, Milone's career hit a snag. In 2015-16, Milone put up a combined 4.55 ERA in 43 appearances (35 starts). 

For his career, Milone has logged over 700 innings pitched and accumulated a 45-33 record with a 4.21 ERA and 6.5 K/9. With a $1.25 million salary in 2017, the veteran will given a solid opportunity to reclaim his stock in the league.

For the Mets, it is important that they add Milone to the starting rotation right away. Rafael Montero has been astronomically bad in 2017, so one has to imagine that he will be on his way out very soon. 

In the meantime, good job by Sandy Alderson on taking a flier on Milone. Perhaps the Mets will continue to search the market in hopes of finding a potential innings-eater for the 2017 campaign. 

Mets bring in Jennings for outfield depth

On Wednesday, the New York Mets agreed to terms with outfielder Desmond Jennings on a minor league contract. Jennings, 30, was released by the Cincinnati Reds on March 31 following a poor Spring Training performance. 

Jennings (pictured) hit .200/.281/.350 in 65 games with TBR in 2016

Once regarded as the sixth best prospect in the game by Baseball America (2009 preseason edition), Jennings had struggled to make a name for himself in the big leagues. In seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, he hit a combined .245/.322/.393 with 55 HR and 191 RBI. Jennings' best season came in 2012, where he hit .246/.314/.388 with 13 HR and 31 SB in 132 games. 

Due to the emergence of Kevin Kiermaier, the Rays shifted Jennings to left field in 2016, so it is unclear if he is still a reliable option in center. The veteran will report directly to Triple-A Las Vegas and serve as right-handed hitting outfield depth behind the injured Juan Lagares. 

As a minor league signing, Jennings comes to the Mets with a very low risk factor. While it is unlikely that he finally fulfills the high expectations that Tampa Bay gave him, the Boras client could certainly see some time with the big league club at some point in the year. 

Recapping the latest Mets news as Opening Day approaches

With Opening Day right around the corner, MLB teams have been working hard to finalize their rosters. The Mets, in particular, had several important decisions to make regarding their player personnel. In this article, we will take a closer look at each notable decision and offer brief insight on them. 

"Steven Matz shutdown for three weeks, Gsellman to replace in rotation"

A few days ago, manager Terry Collins informed the media that left-hander Steven Matz would undergo an MRI after experiencing elbow discomfort. Today, it was determined that the results came back negative. However, Matz will miss the first three weeks of the season and Robert Gsellman will take his spot. 

Matz (pictured) finds himself on the disabled list once again

Gsellman, 23, went 4-2 with a 2.42 ERA in eight games for the Mets last year. He will now play a tremendous role for a team that expects big things in 2017. Recently, the youngster received praise from his skipper. 

"There are guys who just have a feel for when they are on the mound and a demeanor when they pitch, and I think Robert has learned a lot from his experience last year," Collins said. "He sees the older guys, the way they prepare this spring, and I think he's grown up in his preparation and how he goes about things and takes his outings down here not with a grain of salt."

"Lagares to hit DL with oblique injury, Conforto and Kelly to break camp"

Conforto (pictured) will look to bounce back in 2017

Outfielder Juan Lagares will (unofficially) begin the season on the disabled list after suffering an oblique strain in an exhibition game a few days ago. The 28-year old hit just .239/.301/.380 in 79 games last year, but was expected to open the 2017 year as the team's fourth outfielder. 

Ty Kelly will temporarily replace Lagares on the 25-man roster. The utility player hit .241/.352/.345 in 39 games for the Mets in 2016, and does not figure to receive much playing time. However, with experience all around the diamond, particularly third base, left field, and second base, Kelly's versatility will help Terry Collins in late-game situations. 

Perhaps the most noteworthy move on this list, New York decided to bring young outfielder Michael Conforto up north for Opening Day. While some are upset about the transaction, specifically citing his anticipated lack-of playing time, it appears that the team is rewarding the former first-rounder after a hot spring showing. In 60 at-bats, the 24-year old hit .300 with three home runs and five RBI. He will look to rebound his numbers after a rough 2016 campaign. 

"Wheeler makes rotation, Montero to begin year in major league bullpen"

For the first time since 2014, Zack Wheeler will toe the rubber on a major league field. The 26-year old was informed that he not only made the team, but he will be directly inserted into the starting rotation. This spring, Wheeler posted a 5.11 ERA in 12.1 innings pitched, and despite his innings limit, the Mets are okay with letting the youngster start the season with the big-league club. 

"We felt like we needed to start the motor a little bit (on Zack)," Collins told the media. "The bullpen is really a bad role if you haven't pitched in two years. We said 'Let's run him out there.'

Wheeler (pictured) will get the chance to straighten his career out

Meanwhile, Rafael Montero was told that he had made the roster as well. However, the former top prospect will begin the year in the bullpen, seemingly entering a long-relief role with the occasional spot start. The 26-year old performed very well in spring training, putting up a 1.77 ERA in 20.1 innings pitched. Ultimately, the decision came down between he and Seth Lugo, who helped carry Puerto Rico deep into the recent World Baseball Classic. While Montero put up a strong showing, it is hard to ignore the fact that he had been out-of-options and a demotion to Triple-A would have required a passage of waivers. 

"Familia suspended for 15 games for violating domestic violence policy"

Closer Jeurys Familia was recently handed a 15-game suspension by Major League Baseball following a domestic violence incident that had occured in late-2016. The suspension was expected by virtually everyone, but many did not anticipate it being so short. In any event, the 2016 All-Star will be eligible to return to action on April 20th in a game against the Phillies. 

Familia (pictured) led the MLB in saves (51) in 2017

To repair his image and avoid future related situations, the 27-year old has already completed twelve 90-minute counseling sessions. In addition, he will be making donations and speak to incoming rookies on the subject. Recently, he made a statement regarding the suspension:

"Today, I accepted a 15-game suspension from Major League Baseball resulting from my inappropriate behavior on October 31, 2016. With all that has been written and discussed regarding this matter, it is important that it be known that I never physically touched, harmed or threatened my wife that evening. I did, however, act in an unacceptable manner and am terribly disappointed in myself. I am alone to blame for the problems of that evening."

Familia's closer role will be temporarily taken over by Addison Reed. In 80 relief appearances, Reed posted a 1.97 ERA in 2016, but primarily served as New York's setup man. 

Mets bring back Fernando Salas

Salas received a $600K increase in salary from 2016

The Mets have agreed to re-sign pitcher Fernando Salas on a one-year, $3 million deal. According to Steve Adams of MLBTR, the hurler can earn an extra $350K in incentives. Salas started the 2016 year with the Los Angeles Angels, but was traded to the Mets on August 31 in exchange for prospect Eric Manoah. With New York, the reliever posted a 2.08 ERA in 17 appearances out of the bullpen. Additionally, he sported a 9.9 SO/9 ratio and, amazingly, did not walk a single batter in his entire Mets tenure. 

Once regarded as the St. Louis Cardinals' closer of the foreseeable future, Salas has been inconsistent over the past five seasons. However, since 2014, his career had begun to discover some stability. During that time period, he put up a combined 3.86 ERA in 204 appearances while posting a 2.1 BB/9 and 9.1 SO/9 ratio. 

Interestingly enough, Salas has had a decent amount of success against left-handed hitters in his career, holding them to a .239/.294/.383 clip. Conversely, right-handed batters have hit .225/.284/.393 in almost 900 total plate appearances. 

Right now, with the expected suspension of closer Jeurys Familia looming, the Mets will need Salas to play a key role in holding the bullpen together. Addison Reed will take over and be the team's temporary closer, leaving room for Salas to step in and and serve as New York's setup man. 

Let's take a closer look to see how Salas stacks up against his fellow relievers on the Mets. 

Career #’s	Salas	Reed	Robles	Goeddel	Lugo*	Wheeler*
v. RHP	.225	.242	.250	.212	.240	.225
v. LHP	.239	.235	.174	.216	.196	.259
BB/9	2.6	2.5	3.7	3.2	3.0	3.9
SO/9	8.9	9.6	10.0	9.0	6.3	8.5
H/9	7.8	8.2	7.2	7.1	6.9	8.1

 * Expected to begin the year in the bullpen

The one advantage that Salas has over players like Robles, Goeddel and Lugo is his experience in the bullpen. Robles remains a work-in-progress as he still needs to improve his control and develop a secondary pitch, while Goeddel has had issues with his health and being a consistent performer. 

For Lugo, it is expected that he will serve as the long-man out of the bullpen since he doesn't possess the "strikeout pitch" that teams often look for in their setup men. There lies Wheeler, who has been out of MLB action for two years now. The 26-year old will likely begin the 2017 season out of the bullpen as he looks to revamp his arm strength and return to throwing on a regular basis. Although it is unlikely, Wheeler could see an important role in the bullpen if he stays healthy and possesses the ability to command his pitches. 

Overall, the Salas signing was good work by Sandy Alderson. At $3 million, the price tag isn't too steep and still allows the club to take a hard look at other relievers who remain on the market. With the upcoming suspension of Jeurys Familia, Salas will have a good chance to serve as the team's setup man and reestablish his value in the process. 

Mets sign Tom Gorzelanny to minors deal

Gorzelanny has done well against lefties in his career

According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Mets have signed veteran Tom Gorzelanny to a minor league contract. The 34-year old will receive an invitation to spring training and could earn $1 million if he makes the Opening Day roster. Also, he can receive an additional $1.8 million with incentives, and has a March 24 opt-out clause in his contract. 

Gorzelanny saw time with Baltimore and Cleveland in 2016, posting a combined 3.65 ERA in 24.2 Triple-A innings. The veteran had a cup of coffee with the varsity squad in Cleveland, but was shelled and ultimately let up seven runs in just three innings of work. 

As a 12-year MLB veteran, Gorzelanny has seen the majority of his work come from the bullpen. From 2012-2014, he was looked at as a solid bullpen piece, pitching to a combined 3.13 ERA in 111 appearances with the Nationals and Brewers. 

The Mets have been in the market for left-handed relief help and it seemed like their top target was Jerry Blevins. Since Gorzelanny is merely a minor league signing, there is still a good possibility that Blevins returns to Queens for the 2017 campaign. However, let's take a closer look at Gorzelanny's statistics in comparison to the other left-handed options for the Mets. 

Career #’s	Gorzelanny	Blevins	Edgin	Smoker
v. RHB	.274	.243	.248	.200
v. LHB	.229	.214	.201	.360
BB/9	3.9	3.2	3.3	2.3
SO/9	7.3	8.7	8.7	14.7
H/9	9.1	7.6	7.2	9.4

As you can see, each pitcher brings an interesting set of skills to the table. For Smoker, he has struggled against left-handed hitting in his brief MLB career, but his incredible SO/9 ratio makes him a good player to keep an eye on next year. With Edgin, he has not seen success for a few seasons now, but should have a chip on his shoulder as he continues to fully recover from Tommy John surgery. 

The two to take a closer look at are Gorzelanny and Blevins, who have appeared in 314 and 425 career games, respectively. Across the board, Blevins has outperformed Gorzelanny in his career but the latter is not too far behind, What separates Blevins is his ability to get right-handed hitters out, and pitch full innings at a time to avoid taxing the rest of the bullpen. 

In Gorzelanny's case, lefties have hit .229/.302/.356 against him in his career. As someone who is only a few years removed from solid play, this is a very nice gamble by Sandy Alderson and rest the Mets front office. I still expect the team to pursue Blevins, but Gorzelanny provides a low risk, moderate reward option that could serve as a fallback piece if Blevins fails to return to the Big Apple. 

Mets avoid arbitration with seven

Duda will be back for one more season

Friday, January 13th was the deadline for MLB teams to avoid arbitration with it's players. For the Mets, they agreed to deals with seven of their ten arbitration-eligible players. According to Marc Carig of Newsday, New York will adopt a "file-and-trial" approach, meaning that those who are unsigned will go straight to the arbitration hearing process without any further negotiations. The three players who have yet to agree to a deal are: Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Wilmer Flores. 

How will the Cespedes signing impact the Mets moving forward?

The Mets did not hesitate to bring Cespedes back to Queens

On November 30, the New York Mets announced that they had retained outfielder Yoenis Cespedes on a four-year, $110 million contract. Cespedes, now 31, entered the off-season as the top available player in this winter's free agent class. While some believed that he would return to the Big Apple, little thought that he would sign this early in the off-season. Thus, the Mets now benefit moving forward as they know that the All-Star is locked up for the foreseeable future. While Cespedes is just one player, his return seemingly changed the course of action for the Mets front office that was previously looking for alternative options.

With the Winter Meetings rapidly approaching, New York will have tough decisions to make. In this article, we will look at two areas that the Mets need to address in the coming months. 

Neil Walker accepts $17.2 million qualifying offer

Walker will return to the Big Apple for at least one more season

Today was the deadline for players to accept or decline their qualifying offers, and second baseman Neil Walker waited until the last possible minute to make a decision. The 31 year old will accept the offer made by the New York Mets, and will earn $17.2 million in 2017. Walker joins Phillies pitcher Jeremy Hellickson as the only other player this off-season to take the one year contract. 

Mets bring back Bruce, Reyes, decline Niese's option

The Mets were expected to retain Bruce

Yesterday, the New York Mets announced that they will pick up the team options for outfielder Jay Bruce and infielder Jose Reyes. Bruce will earn $13 million next year while Reyes will receive the league minimum of about $500,000. New York also declined pitcher Jon Niese's 2017 Team Option, choosing to give him a $500,000 buyout instead of the $10 million salary. 

Previewing the National League Wildcard Game

Both the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants finished the 2016 season with an 87-75 record, and they will square off on Wednesday, October 5th for the National League wildcard game. Noah Syndergaard (14-9, 2.60 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Mets, and San Francisco will send out their ace Madison Bumgarner (15-9, 2.74 ERA). In this article, we will preview the match-up. 

Mets acquire Fernando Salas

On August 31, the Mets announced a trade with the Angels that brought reliever Fernando Salas to Queens.  It was a one-for-one swap, as New York sent prospect Erik Manoah to Los Angeles in the deal. Salas, a pending free agent, will strictly be a one month rental for the Mets, but they will look for him to become an important piece of their bullpen down the stretch.

For more details on this trade, continue reading. 

How should the Mets shake up the team?

The Mets are coming off a tough weekend where they lost three consecutive games to the last place Atlanta Braves, who came into the series with a 20-46 record. New York now sits at 36-32, which is good for third place in the National League East. Fans are beginning to panic as the Washington Nationals have begun to run away with the division, but the Mets are determined to stay in the hunt. After Sunday's loss, manager Terry Collins claimed that we may see some major shake ups with the current roster. In this article, I will break down what I believe the Mets should do, placing each potential transaction in order of likelihood. 

The Obvious

Activate C Travis d'Arnaud from the DL. Demote C Kevin Plawecki to Triple-A Las Vegas.

This move will probably be announced today or before Tuesday's game against Kansas City, as it is expected that d'Arnaud will take over the starting catching gig to help boost the lineup. Before going on the disabled list in April, d'Arnaud was hitting a measly .196/.288/.261, so his addition is far from a guarantee to improve the lineup. However, Plawecki was simply not getting the job done on both sides of the field. At the plate, he hit .194/.301/.258 in 41 games, and had a 24% caught stealing percentage from behind the dish.

Personally, I was not impressed at all from Plawecki, so I wouldn't mind if he spends a sizable portion of this season down in Triple-A to correct his swing and defensive struggles. As a former 1st round pick, the potential is still there for him to be a quality player in the league, so it would be ideal for the organization to ship him off to Las Vegas where he will receive consistent at-bats. 

Possible Moves

DFA OF Alejandro de Aza. Promote OF Roger Bernandina from Triple-A Las Vegas. 

Many questioned why the Mets brought in de Aza this past winter for the steep price of $5.75 million when they really didn't have a strong need for him. They could have brought back OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis for a fraction of the cost, and likely had gotten the same results, but Sandy Alderson elected to go with the seasoned veteran. 

In 47 games for the Mets, de Aza has hit .169/.229/.247, and will likely be on the chopping block very soon. To give perspective, there are 9 pitchers in the league right now who have hit for a higher batting average, thus making de Aza a strong under performer.  

Now, the obvious choice to replace him would be top prospect OF Brandon Nimmo, but I chose to ignore him in this scenario. I have high hopes for the 23 year old, but I want him to start everyday if he were to be called up, as it wouldn't do his development any good if he sat on the bench for 3/4 of the team's games. 

I picked Roger Bernadina for a few reasons. First off, he has experience just like de Aza, tallying almost 1,500 plate appearances in 7 career seasons. Most importantly, he has hit .288/.378/.441 in Triple-A this year. While I realize that Las Vegas is heavily hitter-friendly, the addition of Bernadina may provide some kind of a spark to a Mets bench that has been struggling as of late. 

Demote OF Michael Conforto to Triple-A Las Vegas. Promote OF Brandon Nimmo from Triple-A Las Vegas. 

I am going to make this clear, I do not want this to happen, but it certainly sounds like the team is leaning toward sending their young outfielder to the minor leagues. Conforto has had an interesting season, hitting .365/.442/.676 with 4 HR and 18 RBI in the first 21 games. Since that point, he has hit .157/.212/.321 with 6 HR and 12 RBI in 40 games. New York had high hopes for the 23 year old, as he was named the team's starting left fielder a few months ago after only playing just above 50 games at the MLB level in 2015.  

If the team were to consider sending him down to Triple-A, I wouldn't be totally against it granted they finally promote fellow former 1st round pick Brandon Nimmo to the major leagues. Nimmo has had a phenomenal season for the 51's, hitting .325/.404/.513 with 5 HR and 33 RBI in 58 games. As I said earlier, the only scenario I would like to see Nimmo is if he is put into a starting role, so this would be the ideal move to make in Conforto's absence.  

Very Unlikely/Out of the Box Move

Promote 2B Dilson Herrera from Triple-A Las Vegas. Demote INF Ty Kelly OR INF Matt Reynolds to Triple-A Las Vegas. Move 2B Neil Walker to 3B.

The Mets have a huge hole at third base now that David Wright is out for the majority of the year, and with an entire month between now and the trading deadline, the team has to find a solution. In the short term, they have given INF Wilmer Flores a chance at the starting job, and he has actually done fairly well. In the month of June, he has hit .333/.400/.521 in 17 games, but has been up and down in the field. As a 24 year old, many still hope that he will eventually become the long-term successor at third base. 

As you can see, I labeled this move as very unlikely, and I would be very surprised to see it happen at this point in time. 2B Dilson Herrera has been raking it up in Triple-A for a few years now, and as a 22 year old, many see him as the future second baseman of this team. Right now, he is hitting .288/.338/.492 with 10 HR and 38 RBI in the minor leagues, so he has proven to be major league ready. The problem is the Mets currently have veteran 2B Neil Walker manning the position, and he has actually had a solid year himself. 

Coming into today, Walker is hitting .266/.335/.477 with 14 HR and 28 RBI in 63 games. The only issue with moving him to third base is he has tallied a grand total of 15 games at the position. Additionally, the last time he even played the position was in 2010, so there may be a defensive liability. 

Personally, I would keep him at 2B as he and SS Asdrubal Cabrera have formed a solid middle infield combination. I want the team to continue to ride the Wilmer Flores experiment for as long as they can, and in July, acquire a proven third baseman that could provide an instant boost to a depleted lineup. 

If you would like to check out direct quotes from the Mets players and coaches, take a look at this article by ESPN's Adam Rubin. 

Bringing back Kelly Johnson was a good idea

Johnson has been dealt from ATL to NYM again

Two days ago, the Mets re-acquired utility player Kelly Johnson after they let him sign with the Atlanta Braves in free agency. New York sent minor league pitcher Akeel Morris to the Braves for Johnson and cash considerations. Specfically, Atlanta sent over roughly $450,000 in the deal, which leaves the Mets with about an $800,000 commitment. 

Johnson knows a thing or two about New York, as he played for the Yankees in 2014 and the Mets in the second half of 2015. In 11 career seasons, he has put up a combined .250/.330/.420 slash line, with 146 home runs. The 34 year old was once thought of as a cornerstone piece for the Braves way back in 2007, where he hit .276/.375/.457 with 16 HR in 147 games. However, he inked a deal with the Diamondbacks in 2009 to become their everyday second baseman. Since that point, he has seen playing time with the Blue Jays, Rays, Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, and Braves on two stints. 

At first glance, many think that the addition of a left handed batter would help the Mets' everyday lineup against tough right handers, but Johnson actually has reverse splits in his career. What I mean by that is that he is actually more of a balanced hitter against left handed pitching. In over 3,600 plate appearances, he has hit .243/.329/.417 with 113 HR against right handers, whereas he has hit .271/.332/.429 with 33 HR in 1,247 plate appearances against southpaws. 

Aside from his experience, he provides a strong veteran presence in a clubhouse that is familiar with his surroundings. Last year, he played 49 games for the Mets, hitting .250/.304/.414, and making the World Series roster. 

As stated in the introduction, Johnson, at this point in his career, is classified as a utility player. He predominantly has experience at second base, totaling 868 games, but has also seen time at left field, third base, and first base. He could even patrol right field or shortstop in an emergency situation, so this will give Terry Collins yet another versatile option to help fill out his bench. 

The main reason why I like this move was that it presents the team with a nice stopgap option for the month of June until the trading deadline next month. At that point, the Mets will likely be in the market for a top-notch third baseman to fill out their playoff-bound team. 

To back up the points made in this article, I would like to pull a quote by Assistant GM John Ricco. 

Morris will likely report to Double-A Mississippi for Atlanta

"We have aspirations of winning the whole thing this year, so we're not going to sit around and wait," Ricco said after the trade. "We know what this team is. We know what it can be, and we're going to give it every chance to get there."

As for what the Mets gave up, some are upset that the Mets gave up ANYTHING when they could of had Johnson in the off-season for nothing more than a minor league contract. Akeel Morris, 23, ranked 13th on the Mets prospect list coming into LAST year, and even saw a brief, albeit rough, MLB debut last year against the Blue Jays. 

Morris has a 4.62 ERA in 22 relief appearances for Double-A Binghamton this year. He broke on to the scene in 2014 when he posted an outstanding 0.63 ERA in 41 appearances for the Savannah Sand Gnats of Single-A. Historically, he has had trouble locating his pitches, leading to a 5.0 BB/9 ratio. For more on Akeel Morris, check out this article from Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. 

David isn't done just yet

David Wright has been an icon for the Mets ever since he put on the uniform in 2004, but his career hit a rough patch last season when he suited up for just 38 games. Wright faced a severe injury that many thought would force an early retirement for the 33 year old third baseman. 

In the short sample size last year, Wright hit .289/.379/.434 with 5 HR and 17 RBI, proving that he is still very capable of putting up above-average numbers when healthy. That notion has continued so far this season, as he has hit .279/.404/.512 with 2 HR in 11 games so far. 

While Wright's numbers have declined to the point where we may never see another 30-30 season again, many seem to still have confidence that he will provide a solid presence in the lineup, including myself. 

Two nights ago, after Wright hit two home runs against the Phillies, manager Terry Collins had some words to say about the team's captain. Collins said "Star players should never surprise you with what they can do. They do things that capture your attention and he's dangerous here."

Wright's condition, spinal-stenosis, has been well-documented as something that may be with him for the rest of his life. In response to that, he has undergone copious amounts of training and preparation before each and every game. To me, this makes his bounce back so much more unique, as he isn't going through normal wear and tear that a veteran player would deal with. 

Of-course, Wright will be given periodic days off to ensure that he doesn't aggravate the injury, but so far so good. The team hasn't given a game expectation for him just yet, but as a fan I would be thrilled if we can get 120-130 games out of him.

Keep in mind that David is under contract for the next four seasons after this one, so the Mets absolutely have to hope that his back stays in good shape, or else his tenure with the team could be tainted. 

It is a complete shot in the dark to predict what his end-of-the-year numbers will look like, but judging on his track record, I would be happy with .280/.350/.470 with 10-15 HR and 70 RBI out of the two spot in the lineup. 

Defensively, it is clear that his gold glove day are behind him. While he still has a good amount of range for someone his age, his arm strength has significantly gotten worse, making the once-called "easy out" just a little bit more difficult. 

Wright will probably always be my favorite Mets player, as I grew up with him being the young-stud of a Mets team that was trying to find their way. Admittedly, It will not be easy for me when he retires from the game, but hopefully we are looking a few years down the road, and not anytime soon. 

Taking away some positives from Game One

Opening Night was frustrating. I will certainty not deny it. The Royals had swagger, were aggressive, and the Mets were caught napping for the first 7 innings or so of the ball-game. Whether it be the Royals knack for getting weakly-hit bloopers or the Mets' poorly timed errors, it looked like a repeat of the 2015 World Series. Despite this, I was able to locate some positives in last night's 4-3 loss. 

1. Michael Conforto

Man, how good did he look? 

As the DH, Conforto was replaced by Yoenis Cespedes in LF, a move that made sense as it allowed Juan Lagares to enter as the center fielder. Conforto, who had some big time home runs against the Royals last October, went 2-2 with 2 walks as well. The only downside was that he was caught stealing against Salvador Perez, but I loved the aggressiveness. 

Conforto is going to have a huge season. I'm cautiously optimistic about 25-plus home runs with a .275-.280 or so batting average. While I love Juan Lagares, there is no way that he and Conforto should platoon this season, as Michael has done nothing to prove that he CANNOT hit left handers just yet. 

2. Jerry Blevins

I understand it was only one appearance, but how big would it be for Jerry Blevins to have a full season of success this year? Of-course, the 32 year old broke his arm not once, but twice in 2015, and was brought back on a one year contract over the off-season. On Opening Night, Terry Collins gave him three batters to face, and he retired them all in order. 

One of the biggest problems for the Mets last year was a lack of a left handed reliever in the bullpen, so all eyes will be on Blevins to see if he can continue his solid, albeit brief, success for the team in 2015. 

3. The new double-play combo

Having Daniel Murphy and Wilmer Flores up the middle last season made it very difficult for the pitcher's to successfully generate double play ground balls. While neither Asdrubal Cabrera or Neil Walker have ever been regarded as excellent defenders, it was obvious that they were on the same page as they nonchalantly turned a few double plays to help out Matt Harvey big time. 

I love Flores and will always be a Murphy fan, but if the new duo can put up decent offensive numbers and do all the little things in the field, I would have no problem whatsoever with the infield changes that the Mets made in the off-season. 

4. The team was resilient

How many people shut off their TV after the Royals scored their fourth run? I know for a fact that I wanted to, but after last year, I knew that anything was possible. The Mets had an awesome 8th inning rally against Joakim Soria. 

It all started with a Juan Lagares single up the middle, and continued with Curtis Granderson walking. After David Wright struck out, Yoenis Cespedes followed with a walk of his own, and Lucas Duda came to the plate. Duda singled on a soft line drive to left field, scoring 2 runners. After this, Neil Walker grounded into a force out, but picked up an RBI as Cespedes scored on the play. 

Soria was clearly off his game, and the team took advantage. What stood out to me most was Neil Walker, as his hustle to first base kept the line moving and made it a one run game. 

I think that the Mets are going to show a lot of this grittiness in 2016 as they are full of veteran players who know how to do the little things in order to win ballgames.  

The next game is on Tuesday against Kansas City, with Noah Syndergaard facing off against Chris Young.  

Mets Opening Day Roster Prediction

With Opening Night just 4 days away, the Mets have substantially trimmed down the number of players in camp, but still have some key decisions to make. In this piece, I will give you my prediction for the 25 man roster by the time Opening Day rolls around. I will also provide some of Spring Training statistics of these players as of March 31st, 2016. 

Starting with the rotation

1. P Matt Harvey (3 starts, 6.30 ERA, 10.0 IP, 7.2 BB/9)

2. P Jacob deGrom (4 starts, 1.42 ERA, 16.2 IP, 1.1 B/9)

3. P Noah Syndergaard (4 starts, 2.04 ERA, 17.2 IP, 0.5 BB/9)

4. P Steven Matz (5 games, 4 starts, 6.27 ERA, 18.2 IP, 5.3 BB/9)

5. P Bartolo Colon (5 starts, 6.08 ERA, 23.2 IP, 0.4 BB/9)

• Starting off with the heart and soul of the team, the pitching rotation is pretty much set. The team brought back Bartolo Colon to fill innings until Zack Wheeler returns in July, so for the time being he will stay as the fifth starter. Barring any injuries, 1-4 will be set up as such for the rest of the season, and hopefully beyond that. 

That was obvious, let's move to the bullpen

1. Closer: Jeurys Familia (9 appearances, 3.24 ERA, 8.1 IP, 2.2 BB/9)

2. Setup Man 1: Addison Reed (10 appearances, 2.79 ERA, 9.2 IP, 1.9 BB/9)

3. Setup Man 2: Antonio Bastardo (11 appearances, 6.30 ERA, 10.0 IP, 4.5 BB/9)

4. Lefty Reliever: Jerry Blevins (12 appearances, 4.32 ERA, 8.1 IP, 4.3 BB/9)

5. Middle Reliever 1: Hansel Robles (10 appearances, 4.66 ERA, 9.2 IP, 5.6 BB/9)

6. Middle Reliever 2: Jim Henderson (11 appearances, 1.86 ERA, 9.2 IP, 0.9 BB/9)

7. Long-Reliever: Sean Gilmartin (6 appearances, 2 starts, 4.15 ERA, 13.0 IP, 1.3 BB/9)

Notable names left off: Erik Goeddel, Rafael Montero, Josh Edgin, and Logan Verrett.

• The team will carry 24 players for the first two games of the season because Hansel Robles will be serving a two game suspension. As for everything else, it is pretty well fortified. The only two unexpected picks in this section are probably Jim Henderson, who has had an incredible spring, and Sean Gilmartin, who performed very nicely last season as a swing-man. While I like Logan Verrett, I think the organization is more comfortable with him getting starts in Triple-A just in case the injury bug strikes Queens yet again. 

Starting lineup (against RHP)

1. RF Curtis Granderson (14 games,.295/.311/.432, 0 HR, 3 RBI)

2. 3B David Wright (7 games, .238/.304/.381, 1 HR, 3 RBI)

3. 1B Lucas Duda (14 games, .189/.268/.270, 1 HR, 2 RBI)

4. CF Yoenis Cespedes (15 games, .357/.400/.405, 0 HR, 6 RBI)

5. 2B Neil Walker (16 games, .209/.277/.372, 1 HR, 2 RBI)

6. C Travis d'Arnaud (17 games, .179/.267/.231, 0 HR, 8 RBI)

7. LF Michael Conforto (17 games, .220/.283/.390, 2 HR, 8 RBI)

8. SS Asdrubal Cabrera (15 games, .133/.133/.133, 0 HR, 2 RBI)

9. Pitcher

• The lineup is difficult to project because I am not sure where Terry Collins plans on putting David Wright. If he puts him in the two spot, either Lucas Duda or Yoenis Cespedes could conceivable hit behind him, but for lefty-righty sake I decided to go with Duda. Walker will likely be the #5 hitter until Michael Conforto shows that he can handle that spot.

Bench

1. OF Juan Lagares (19 games, .318/.388/.423, 1 HR, 7 RBI)

2. C Kevin Plawecki (17 games, .220/.298/.366, 1 HR, 4 RBI)

3. OF Alejandro de Aza (19 games, .372/.451/.442, 0 HR, 3 RBI)

4. INF Wilmer Flores (21 games, .302/.387/.377, 0 HR, 3 RBI)

5. UTL Eric Campbell (21 games, .286/.444/.333, 0 HR, 0 RBI)

Notable names left off: Matt Reynolds and Dilson Herrera.

• Juan Lagares and Alejandro de Aza pair for a nice duo of backup outfielders, and the Flores/Campbell duo does the same for the infield. While I do not believe that Kevin Plawecki should be up with the Mets, it's looking likely since the team has not acquired a serviceable backup catcher. Finally, Matt Reynolds and Dilson Herrera have been left off because I believe they both need to properly develop in Triple-A.