Mets unveil full 2019 Opening Day roster

March 28th, 2019

WASHINGTON -- Opening Day has arrived. The Mets on Thursday officially submitted their 25-man roster to the league. There were no last-minute surprises, after a flurry of action late in Spring Training. Here's a look at the final roster:

Catcher (2): Wilson Ramos, Tomas Nido
What changed? The Mets determined two things late in camp: that Travis d'Arnaud could benefit from a little extra time in Florida as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery, and that Tomas Nido was a better defensive option than Devin Mesoraco. As a result, the Mets placed d'Arnaud in the injured list and carried Nido over Mesoraco, whom they assigned to Minor League camp. Mesoraco declined that assignment, and the Mets plan to place him on the restricted list. A source said Mesoraco intends to retire.

First base (2): Peter Alonso, Dominic Smith
What changed? Nothing. The Mets made good on their promise to carry the best 25 players, service-time considerations aside. That means Alonso and Smith, two of the Mets' best hitters from start to finish in Grapefruit League play, are both on the team. The question is how the Mets plan to divvy up playing time; Alonso will start at least two of the team's first three games, but the Mets have said they want to work Smith in regularly as well.

Second base (1): Robinson Cano
What changed? Not a thing. If the Mets have their way, Cano will stay healthy enough to start 140-plus games at second base, with a cast of others filling in only on occasion.

Third base (2): Jeff McNeil, J.D. Davis
What changed? Injures to Jed Lowrie and Todd Frazier wound up lingering all spring, forcing the Mets to abandon their plans to use McNeil as their everyday left fielder. Instead, McNeil goes to third base, where he'll start until one of the others is ready. Davis will back up both here and at first base, though he's more likely to find reps at third.

Shortstop (2): Amed Rosario, Luis Guillorme
What changed? Rosario, like Cano at second, is an everyday starter whom the Mets hope will start 140-plus games or more. The surprise here is Guillorme, who outperformed Adeiny Hechavarria this spring and won the job because of it. Guillorme will serve as a defensive replacement at second, third and short.

Outfield (4): Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Juan Lagares, Keon Broxton
What changed? It's status quo in the outfield as well for the Mets, who broke camp with these four. Lagares and Broxton may feature overlapping skill sets, but the Mets value having two athletes of that caliber on their bench -- particularly given Lagares' injury history. Davis and Smith also boast outfield experience, but the Mets shied away from using either there this spring.

Starting pitcher (5): Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler, Steven Matz, Jason Vargas
What changed? To the relief of the Mets, nothing. Rotation health is paramount on this roster, and the starting five was healthy all spring. If there's a concern here, it's the depth beyond those five. The Mets lost Rule 5 Draft pick Kyle Dowdy to a waiver claim, veteran starter Hector Santiago struggled late in spring and Walker Lockett spent the end of March dealing with a minor shoulder ailment. (He's due to resume throwing next week). If the Mets need a sixth starter, Corey Oswalt may be their first option up from Syracuse.

Relief pitcher (7): Edwin Diaz, Jeurys Familia, Seth Lugo, Justin Wilson, Robert Gsellman, Luis Avilan, Tim Peterson
What changed? Our mid-spring projection featured the first six relievers on this list, plus Santiago. That appeared to be the Mets' inclination until late in spring, when a second poor Santiago outing prompted them to recall Peterson from Minor League camp. Peterson was inconsistent himself in March, but has accessible Minor League options and, unlike fellow candidate Ryan O'Rourke, does not duplicate Avilan's skill set.

Here's a condensed snapshot of the Mets' Opening Day roster:

CATCHERS
Wilson Ramos
Tomas Nido