The World Baseball Classic wraps up next week. A scant more than a week later, the 2023 baseball season will officially begin.
For the Mets, runners-up in the NL East last season, there is a sense of urgency, not with the offense, but with the bullpen.
The pitching staff was overhauled over the off-season. Jacob deGrom took the money and fled west to Texas. Taijuan Walker joins Zack Wheeler in Philadelphia. Seth Lugo decided he wanted to be a starter again, and San Diego is willing to oblige. However, the Mets filled the holes in the rotation by bringing in veteran Justin Verlander (Houston), who reunites with ace Max Scherzer, as the two were teammates in Detroit, and signing Japanese star Kodai Senga. Jose Quintana came over from St. Louis, but he's injured, and may not be ready until July. Joey Lucchesi should be ready after missing all of 2022. The Mets bolstered the bullpen by getting Brooks Raley (Tampa Bay) and David Robertson (Philadelphia), who will be added to the growing list of players who've suited up for both the Mets & Yankees.
The addition of Robertson is now even bigger, after closer Edwin Diaz was presumed to be lost for the season after an accident at the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday.
Diaz tore a patella tendon while celebrating Puerto Rico advancing to the quarterfinal round. Fans are calling for owner Steve Cohen to sign free agent Zach Britton (last with the Yankees), but with Robertson, a veteran closer with the Yanks, Phillies, Cubs, & White Sox, is that necessary? Diaz won't be back until after the season.
Mets fans on Reddit are obsessing over rookies Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez. The latter likely will start the season in Syracuse, while the former caddies Eduardo Escobar at 3rd, although there is talk of Baty being tested in the outfield. Otherwise, the infield is solid with Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil, & Pete Alonso. The Mets signed Omar Narvaez (Milwaukee) as veteran catching insurance for Tomas Nido and Alvarez after James McCann left town after 2 unspectacular seasons. The outfield for now is intact (Mark Canha, Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte).
Figuring the rotation to be Verlander/Scherzer/Senga/Carlos Carrasco/David Peterson or Tylor Megill, the latter stepping aside when Quintana becomes available in the summer, the Mets will challenge Atlanta again, and dominate upstart Philadelphia. Again. With everyone playing everyone starting this season, interleague play as we know it is no more. It will, however, be interesting to see the Mets vs. deGrom when they play Texas, or if Noah Syndergaard actually starts a game vs. the Mets in LA with the Dodgers, and not duck them like he did with the Phillies & Angels last year.
Projected finish. 2nd, good for a Wild Card again.
Of course, I could be wrong.
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