5:14PM: Acuna will also make the team, according to Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extra Base.
2:22PM: The Mets will break camp with infielder Brett Baty, catcher Hayden Senger and righties Max Kranick and Huascar Brazoban on the roster, president of baseball operations David Stearns announced to the team’s beat this afternoon (links via Newsday’s Tim Healey). A decision on infielder Luisangel Acuña has not yet been reached. The Mets could still bring an infielder in from outside the organization, per Healey. Senger is not on the 40-man roster, but the Mets currently have one opening.
On top of that, Stearns revealed that righty Paul Blackburn will begin the season on the injured list due to inflammation in his right knee. He won’t throw for the next seven to ten days, but the team expects that Blackburn will return at some point in April.
Injuries to Jeff McNeil, Nick Madrigal and Ronny Mauricio (still rehabbing from last year’s ACL tear) opened the door for Baty or Acuña to break camp with the Mets in 2025. Early on, Acuña seemed like the more natural fit, given his ability to back up Francisco Lindor at shortstop. However, some struggles from Acuña and an absolute monster performance from Baty during Grapefruit League play has given Baty the nod, even if he’s not a viable shortstop option and has limited experience at second base, where he’ll play to begin the season.
In 59 spring plate appearances, Baty launched four homers, six doubles and a triple — all while walking more often (13.6%) than he struck out (10.2%). He finished the spring with a Herculean .353/.441/.745 batting line and will now see regular time at second base while McNeil is on the shelf. If Baty continues to hit, the Mets will be hard-pressed to send him back down, though that’s putting the cart before the horse.
Baty, a 2019 first-rounder and longtime top prospect, has seen action in parts of three MLB seasons but has yet to put it together in the majors. He’s .215/.282/.325 hitter in 602 big league plate appearances. He also only just turned 25 this offseason, however, and Baty boasts a terrific track record in Triple-A. He’s played parts of three seasons at the top minor league level and turned in a hearty .273/.368/.531 in 94 games there. That .899 OPS is a near-mirror image of the .900 mark he logged in 129 Double-A games and the .911 mark he recorded in 51 High-A games.
Senger, 27, was the Mets’ 24th-round pick back in 2018. He’s slowly climbed the minor league ladder for several years, splitting time the past three seasons between New York’s Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. In 2024, he turned in a combined .234/.302/.363 slash between the two levels. He ranked as highly as 23rd in the Mets’ system back in 2022, with Baseball America calling him a likely backup who has better-than-average blocking and throwing skills. He’s thwarted 31% and 37% of stolen base attempts against him over the past two seasons, even as limits on throws to first base and slightly larger bases have resulted in far greater success for runners on the basepaths.
Were it not for an injury to Francisco Alvarez, Senger likely wouldn’t have been in position to earn a roster spot. Alvarez fractured the hamate bone in his left wrist during batting practice earlier in camp, however, which required surgery. He’ll miss at least a month of the season. Journeyman Luis Torrens will break camp as the Mets’ starting catcher.
The Mets acquired Blackburn from the A’s last summer, but he’s scarcely been able to pitch for the team. The 31-year-old righty (30 at the time of the swap) pitched in only five games before a comeback liner struck his right hand and sent him to the injured list. He avoided any fractures, but Blackburn required some down time due to swelling and a lack of mobility. While on the mend, he suffered a spinal fluid leak in his back. He didn’t return in 2024 and underwent surgery in October.
Blackburn is a late bloomer who clearly has the ability to pitch in a big league rotation but has repeatedly been set back by uncommon injuries. On top of the spinal issue last year, he’s also missed significant time due to a stress reaction in his right foot and a torn pulley tendon in his right middle finger. Dating back to 2022, Blackburn has a 4.43 ERA, 20.2% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate in 290 1/3 MLB frames.
It’s been a tough spring for the Mets’ rotation. Frankie Montas was diagnosed with a lat strain shortly after camp opened, leading to a full shutdown of six to eight weeks. Sean Manaea suffered an oblique strain not long after that. Prospect Christian Scott is still recovering from last summer’s Tommy John surgery.
The Mets will open the season with a rotation that includes Opening Day starter Clay Holmes, lefty David Peterson and righties Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning.
Stearns double checking is Marte has a sudden tummy ache so they can roster Canario
Mets have way too many OFs
Are siri & tyrone really necessary?
They’re the starting center field platoon, so yes.
What the Mets have too many of is DH-only types in Winker and Marte. Its a necessary evil for now. But I hope that as the season progresses, Baty and Mauricio cam fill tjhose roles and Marte and Winker can get dealt, even if the Mets have to eat most of the money.
They are also a platoon ant DH, and can both play corner outfield spots.
They are both terrible OFs. If they have to play in anything other than spot duty, then a lot has gone very wrong.
Admittedly, with McNeil’s injury and Nimmo’s conditions being chronic and possibly requiring some form of load management, we are almost halfway to a lot having gone wrong.
They both have terrible range for sure, but at least they’ve goth got great arms. You can survive with them in the corners sometimes though they certainly shouldn’t start. But having a DH platoon with those two guys ain’t bad. And there’s a chance Marte’s range is back to passable now that he’s finally healthy. But who knows. Not ideal but as your 5th and 6th outfielders, it’s okay.
Alexander Canario will be an automatic waiver claim power bat.
Very impressive 2 HR Game with a GS this past weekend.
mlb.com/mets/video/alexander-canario-homers-3-on-a…
Against double-A pitching
Mediocre competition and still a 35% K-rate. They’ve already got Jose Siri, they don’t need another worse one.
Wish they would but sadly stuck with Marte
Senga pitching to Senger.
And it’s a pop-up to seager!
Depending on the accent used, it could sound like he’s pitching to himself.
Very happy for Senger
You mean Senga?
Just a hunch that Baty will break out bigly this season.
You can see the confidence difference in him bigly.
Now’s his chance. Hope he seizes it. Not sure if he’ll get a better shot with the Mets. If he can’t put it together now, his future with the Mets is very uncertain.
I want to see him succeed, but it’ll have to be at DH considering Vientos, Nimmo and Alonso are at positions he could play. Unless they move Alonso to DH and put Vientos at 1B, which I’d be a fan of.
He’s starting at 2b.
Right but Vientos, Nimmo, and Alonso are at positions he could play.
There’s a lot of flexibility now, you can DH Pete and move Vientos to 1B, and play Baty at 3B. You can keep him at 2B And play McNeil in the outfield. Or he can flat out win second and McNeil becomes the utility player. A lot of good options if he breaks out.
Did Ryan Vogelbach make the team??
@padam: I think they’re starting him at 2B. He’s not going to be good defensively but hopefully he can hit.
you’re missing the more obvious solution: Baty to 3rd and Vientos to DH.
Everyones always picking on the fat guy
Leave Vientos where he’s at. He’ll get better as he becomes comfortable there. For those too young to remember, a fellow by the name of Schmidt, started out as an uncertain fielding third baseman. Surprisingly, he became a perennial GG and a HOF.
Same. I’m a Mets fan and for me, it’s far more entertaining when they win with in house developed talent. Free agents are great and necessary, but guys like Nimmo, Vientos and Baty are easier to root for and just more fun.
It was devastating when Gooden and Strawberry left since they were the first Mets superstars I grew up with. I will always route for their home grown players. Of course when players like Piazza, Beltran, Lindor and Soto come along they are pretty easy to root for too.
@lotus, I’m with you on that.
– Pete
rct: disagree that he has to put it all together now. He just has to be good enough to stick as a bench player. That would allow them to carry him on the roster next year when he is out of options, and give him more time to further grow into a starter (if he ever does). There’s a lot f benefit to having your bench roles secure and filled with young players for another 5 years rather than having to go looking for the Joey Wendles and Nick Madrigals every year.
I would have liked to have seen him at 3B this season and the $30m to Alonso put instead into pitching. Adding a new position for Baty on top of the pressure of what’s probably his last chance to succeed with the Mets doesn’t fit his slow acclimation to the majors.
This calls back to what the Mets did with Gregg Jefferies, who didn’t have his peak season until he went to the Cardinals, who had the good sense to move him to a position he could handle and leave him there.
Like “bigly”. Didn’t know this word existed until your post. Awesome.
Blackburn on the IL is a sign that the season is right around the corner
Senger was bagging groceries at whole foods for like the past 5 yrs , and now he’s on OD roster in the majors. Congrats to him
Mr. Fancy Pants working at Whole Foods, this guy must’ve been born with a silver spoon in his hand. /s
Any idiot can work in Whole Foods
If Torrens gets injured the door opens for Senger to have Kurt Warner moment. He takes over, bats .260 hits 18 homers and 65 rbi’s and has the World series winning homer. Ya never know!
Will Grimace be back with the Mets ?
Mr and Mrs Met ?
What about Arthur (Mettle the Mule) ?
They won’t have Iglesias, but will Iggy the dog be back?
They should just go ahead and beat the rush by announcing a mediocre 3rd place division finish for the year
Acuña just didn’t seem to have the fire or intensity this Spring. I read that Lindor said he looked bored. What’s up with that?
Ouch. Hadn’t heard that but it’s… bad. That’s the team’s central figure and a future HOFer at your primary position telling you something’s not right with your game or approach or interactions.
It’s a lot easier to play your way off a 26-man roster than it is to play your way onto one, and the only thing keeping Acuna in the conversation is his first 19 PA in MLB. Not much of a resume otherwise after he was dealt to the Mets.
Congrats to Senger!
Mets are a mess
Yeah, going to the NLCS last year is really a “mess”.
@Butterboy 🙄
ready to dominate. LGM.
Hope that Baty can finally put it all together
“Finally put it all”…I’m thinking Baty will have difficulty finding opportunities with Vientos and others in the picture.
Mlbfan
Baty plays 2b now. Vientos plays 3b. Others play others.
Thanks for the correction. In the spring I only watch sporadically. During the season, I watch the Mets/Yankees 4+ times per week.
Above average rotation in quality, but not by a lot, Durability just isn’t there. The wheels could come off fast.
Holmes–4 GS in 7 years, 70 MLB IP/yr max, career.
Senga–5 IP in 2024
Peterson–peaked at 21 MLB starts, in 2024
Megill–career ERA+ of 89. 78 MLB IP in 2024
Canning–owns 2024 AL ‘title’ for most ER allowed.
IL:
Manaea–everything depends on the .191 BABIP in his last 10 reg season starts in 2024. 117 IP and 10 GS in ’23.
Montas–One IP in 2023. Won’t throw for 6-8 weeks.
Blackburn–myriad injuries. 2022-24: 97 IP/yr, 89 ERA+, career max 111 IP in ’22.
The eight are 32, 32, 29, 29, 29, 33, 32, 31.
That’s why Stearns has depth in starters and relievers including in AAA that can be brought up in event of emergency or long term injury.
A few top prospects may come up and replace traded players like Marte, McNeil, Blackburn, Megill and others. Mauricio may be up sooner than later and provide a spark as an OF.
Big wildcard – Can Alvarez provide at least average defense and have good communication with pitching staff Hit 18 hrs and 60 RBIs
@Joe The good news in that regard is the sites integrating catcher defense into his overall contributions at the plate and on the bases have Alvarez above average at the position even with his bad 2024 hitting numbers. It’s not what we hoped for from him, but a 2-3 win catcher making the minimum is a nice player to have, and Mets pitchers universally applaud his work ethic and pitch calling.
The problem with pitching is that its depth is already gone. Wrt the pen, after the top six arms it’s replacement level and worse, and wrt the rotation the next men in quality are Sproat, with 28 abysmal AAA innings, and Tong, with 9 IP above A ball. They have bright futures, but both project to 4.50 ERAs if they get to MLB in 2025. The more likely early arrivals are less talented MIRPs or spot starters like Tidwell and Hamel, both of whose projections land just shy of 5.00.
It’s getting late early in Queens.
@JackStrawb…Very good, through, insightful analysis. Actually I wish it weren’t so through, insightful and possible.
The Mets are one of the NL’s best hopes to dethrone or corral the Dodgers to keep them from completely owning the National League.
The Mets don’t have the pitching rotation for that; the offense should be fine but their rotation has lots of question marks. Really surprised all the money spent by the Mets that they didn’t upgrade the pitching.
I think when you count in the offense; the rotation; and the bullpen the Mets aren’t all that great.
What is not talked about much is Soto is horrible in the outfield; Vientos is not great at third: Nimmo is below average in left and Alonso not great at first. I think a lot of innings are going to longer than normal with the defense letting the team down.
“I think when you count in the offense; the rotation; and the bullpen the Mets aren’t all that great.”
Yeah I could see how you got there. I mean when you dramatically over exaggerate the negatives and ignore the positives all while missing the big picture strategy sure, I could see why you’re so clueless.
Not even close.
Thus endeth the Canario era
Yeah, the combination of contracts from before Stearns’ arrival, Cohen playing GM, shooting for 90 wins, and a lackluster farm that had an off year and has yet to regularly produce such that most holes are filled through FA will do that to you..
$286 million for 11 players? Oy.
I hope I’m wrong, for Mets’ fans’ sakes, but I keep wondering if Lindor-Soto is the new Ohtani-Trout.
Let them play a game together first
I wouldn’t think so, fortunately. Stearns is much better at finding talent than Eppler et al were, the Mets are a more desirable destination than the Angels were; the Mets farm, average as it is, is in significantly better shape than the Angels’ farm was, and Cohen is much more willing to spend big than Moreno, who in fairness wasn’t cheap, he just didn’t know what he was doing.
A good GM who started his tenure with a decent farm and has $300m-plus to spend on payroll in the three-wildcard era should rarely miss the postseason. Even so, as for winning once they get into the postseason, short of winning the division a team has to win 4 series. If they’re 50-50 to win each round a team has a 6.25% chance to win the World Series.
Make the postseason every year and win your division every other year by enough to skip the opening round, and you’re still only about a 1 in 10 shot to win the World Series, on average.
Soto is horrible in right field; he is going pro long some innings with his play
How bout an interdivision trade between the Mets & Phils?
Mets acquire Kody Clemens and his LH bat to compliment Vientos & Alonso, plus give them another option at 2B until McNiel and Mauricio are 100%. But they have to take on Taijuan Walker (2/36) to be their 5th starter. Phillies acquire Starling Marte (1/19.5) & Paul Blackburn (1/4.5). Marte absolutely loves hitting at the Bank. He would be the perfect RH bat to spell Marsh/Kepler vs. LHP. Blackburn makes a couple rehab starts at AAA then joins the Phillies rotation when they truly need a 5th starter for the first time around April 16th. The Mets also shed $6mil in salary in the deal, but are responsible for Taijuan’s $18 next year (+$12mil overall 2025-2026). Since they are getting a young versatile player in Kody, they are willing to gamble on Taijuan bouncing back.
This trade never going happen;
You can’t have the son of Roger Clemens on the Mets.
Mets have a very good squad.
The Mets aren’t as good as the experts want you to believe; there pitching staff is going be there issue. The Mets are relaying on pitchers there were injured last year or moving someone like Holmes to a starter. So getting 20-25 starts from some of these guys could be an issue.
Than at least 2-3 places Soto in right; Vientos at 3rd; maybe nimmo in left below average defense could prolong innings with balls that should have been handled to extend pitches needed with pitchers like Holmes. Which are going wear down the pitching staff quickly.
For the Mets to be effective they are going have to skip some of these starters a start or 2 a month and with the depth they a possible 6th starter doesn’t like that strong
I will never know with all the money spent on Soto etc why they didn’t add quality proven rotation depth
This is a facile breakdown, a mile wide and an inch deep.
Glad they brought up the baty bwoy
Typical LOLMets moves. The Mets are unintentionally sabotaging their own player development pipeline by prioritizing short-term depth over long-term sustainability.
The Mets pitching is not that good.The Braves and Phillies will top the division.
@privy Particularly now that the starting pitching depth consists of minor leaguers with either almost no time in the upper minors (Tong’s simply not ready) or struggled badly in 2024 in AAA (Sproat, Hamel, Vasil, Tidwell all had ERAs at 5.97 or higher).
Add to that the offense they thought was going to carry their fairly ordinary starting pitching has already lost two starters in Squirrel and Frankie, and that Nimmo’s hurting, and it doesn’t look like they’ll have the fuel to overcome another bad start.
This is an old team with 2o% of the original 26-man roster alreay on the shelf, and Game 1 isn’t starting for another hour.
On paper, the Mets rotation looks bad, they should keep Sproat in the rotation and sign Trevor Bauer, those 2 look better than Megill and Canning in the rotation. Bauer, Senga,Holmes, Peterson and Sproat looks better than what they’re starting
Jeez, some people will still be banging the Bauer drum when he’s 60 years old. He’s fat and out of shape and hasn’t pitched in MLB in years because no one wants him in their clubhouse.
Sproat is not ready and needs to earn it at AAA but I expect him up this year. Tidwell might get a chance first if needed in April. We may even have to look at who gets cut from other teams with 3 starters beginning the IL. You don’t build a team expecting that.
Last thing, Canning looks really sharp this spring, I know ST isn’t the real deal, but I liked him on the Angels when he came up as a rookie and he might be a surprisingly effective back end starter that can go deep into games. No one can pitch well in Anaheim so I’m throwing out last year’s stats.
@privy Particularly now that the starting pitching depth consists of minor leaguers with either almost no time in the upper minors (Tong’s simply not ready) or struggled badly in 2024 in AAA (Sproat, Hamel, Vasil, Tidwell all had ERAs at 5.97 or higher).
Add to that the offense they thought was going to carry their fairly ordinary starting pitching has already lost two starters in Squirrel and Frankie, and that Nimmo’s hurting, and it doesn’t look like they’ll have the fuel to overcome another bad start.
This is an old team with 2o% of the original 26-man roster alreay on the shelf, and Game 1 isn’t starting for another hour.
It’s going to be a long season for us Mets fans; Soto sucks, complete waste of money; not clutch at all.
Get Marte off this team and bring back Canario. Nimmo stinks too. Siri can run but he can’t swing the bat. Don’t bring back McNeil. Another terrible start for that SS dooms the team.