PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Three Grapefruit League games remain for the Mets, plus an intrasquad scrimmage on Monday. Before breaking camp, most regulars are scheduled to play in three of the four.
While there’s not much more for the Mets to accomplish here in Florida, they have yet to make final calls on several important decisions. Such as:
1. Will Carson Benge make the team?
It sure seems like it. While club officials continue to evaluate, it would be awfully difficult at this point to deny Benge, who has played strong defense and is hitting .412 this spring. He looks the part. Manager Carlos Mendoza seemed to tip his hand on Friday, when he slotted Bo Bichette in at shortstop. It’s a skillset the Mets would only ask Bichette to use if Francisco Lindor suffers a long-term injury … or if they don’t carry a true backup shortstop on the roster.
Earlier this week, the Mets optioned Ronny Mauricio to Triple-A Syracuse, leaving Lindor and Vidal Bruján as the only true shortstops on the roster. So what does all this have to do with Benge? If the Mets don’t carry Bruján, it will leave space for both Benge and Mike Tauchman to make the team. If they do carry Bruján, they’ll need to choose between the other two.
There is merit to carrying Bruján, one of the fastest players in camp who could serve as a valuable pinch-runner in addition to backing up Lindor. But Tauchman could also carve out a pinch-hitting role, and the Mets would risk losing him to another organization if they don’t place him on their active roster by Wednesday. For those reasons, the most likely scenario appears to be both Benge and Tauchman making the team.
Remember, MLB’s Prospect Promotion Incentive offers added motivation for the Mets to carry Benge on Opening Day. If they do so and he either: A) wins National League Rookie of the Year honors, or B) places Top 3 in MVP voting in any of the next three seasons, they’ll receive a supplementary Draft pick.
2. Will Craig Kimbrel make the bullpen?
At this point, don’t count on it. While rival scouts have lauded the movement on Kimbrel’s pitches, with one opining that the former closer can still succeed if he pitches consistently near the top of the strike zone, the results just haven’t been there. Kimbrel has walked five batters and hit two others over six innings, allowing an earned run in three of his six outings. His velocity is topping out around 93 mph.
Kimbrel did not trigger the opt-out clause in his Minor League contract, which he could have done on Thursday. But the Mets haven’t offered him a roster spot. A person with knowledge of the situation said the team still wants extra time to evaluate Kimbrel, who may not agree to a Minor League assignment if he’s left off the roster. The Mets can always still release Kimbrel before Opening Day.
If Kimbrel doesn’t make the team, a likely candidate to take his place is Bryan Hudson, who has intrigued Mets officials with elite extension and increased velocity. But Hudson’s Grapefruit League results haven’t been stellar, and another left-hander, Richard Lovelady, is still in camp with a chance to unseat him. Meanwhile, Mets officials want to remain open-minded about external help. Many players hit waivers in the days leading up to Opening Day, while some veterans with upward mobility clauses have already begun opting out of their deals.
3. How will the Mets line up their rotation?
Only two spots are clear: Freddy Peralta on Opening Day and Nolan McLean in Game 3. Based on conversations with team officials, the middle game against the Pirates is likely to go to David Peterson, though the Mets have yet to announce that formally.
The second series is where things get interesting. Although the Mets intend to use a six-man rotation to start the season, they want to keep Peralta on something closer to a five-game schedule. That means Peralta is likely to make his second start April 1 in St. Louis on one extra day of rest. The Mets held Peralta back from his final Grapefruit League start for precisely that reason, using him in a Minor League game instead.
If the Mets deploy Peralta, Clay Holmes and Kodai Senga in some order for the Cardinals series, the question becomes when Sean Manaea might actually pitch. The Mets could use Manaea for the seventh game of the season April 2 in San Francisco, which would free everyone else to make their second starts with an extra day of rest. Would they push Manaea further if they feel he needs time to regain some of his lost velocity? Time will tell.
In any case, the Mets cannot option Manaea to the Minors. He could be available out of the bullpen for the Mets’ first couple games.