PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — As a few of Mark Vientos’ teammates ready for his or her ultimate Grapefruit League sport in Port St. Lucie, and most of the relaxation traveled to Jupiter, Fla., for the opposite half of a split-squad sport, Vientos’ locker at Clover Park stood largely empty on Sunday morning. Mets officers gave Vientos the day without work after telling him, in a little bit of a late-spring shock, that he wouldn’t make the Opening Day roster.
“Clearly, he wasn’t pleased, and we anticipated that,” supervisor Carlos Mendoza stated. “It’s one thing that, as a participant or as a supervisor, you don’t need anyone pleased once they get the information that they’re going again to the Minors.”
For practically all of Spring Coaching, Vientos was an apparent choose to make the Mets. A former prime prospect who might conceivably play a job for years to return, Vientos had the backing of crew officers who needed to see him in an expanded on a regular basis position. However then J.D. Martinez’s worth dropped, the Mets signed the six-time All-Star per week earlier than Opening Day and Vientos discovered the ground ripped out from below him.
Though New York nonetheless might have carried Vientos as a fill-in till Martinez was prepared, they as an alternative selected to choice him to Triple-A Syracuse and provides the job to Zack Quick.
“As we checked out our roster building, checked out a few of the matchups earlier within the season, we simply thought this made the appropriate sense, each for him from a playing-time perspective,” president of baseball operations David Stearns stated, “and for our crew on the Main League degree.”
Particularly, Stearns stated, the Mets need Vientos to proceed bettering defensively; he’ll obtain that chance because the on a regular basis third baseman at Syracuse. Offensively, the membership doesn’t think about Vientos a completed product.
The dialog got here as unwelcome information to Vientos, who led the Mets with 5 Grapefruit League homers after slashing .211/.253/.367 in sporadic taking part in time final season as a rookie. However it isn’t the tip of his story.
“The Opening Day roster is simply the roster for in the future,” stated Brett Baty, the beginning third baseman and certainly one of Vientos’ shut mates on the crew. “The quantity of gamers a crew goes by over a full season has obtained to be near 70. So we’ll see him very quickly. He’s among the best hitters, gamers, that I’ve ever performed with. He’s one of many hardest staff. So he’s going to go down there and rip as exhausting as he can.”
With Vientos within the Minors, Stearns and Mendoza have two roster selections nonetheless to make:
Remaining bench spot
The Mets will take solely 13 place gamers north with them, which is similar quantity they’ll have on the Opening Day roster. Twelve have been informed for certain that they’re making the crew. The thirteenth, DJ Stewart, is on the roster bubble.
If nothing else occurs between now and Thursday, Stewart will make the crew as a left-handed backup outfielder and first baseman. However the Mets are nonetheless canvassing the waiver wire to see if any gamers they want to purchase come out there. As such, they haven’t assured Stewart a job.
One different candidate, Ji Man Choi, was informed Sunday morning that he gained’t make the membership. Choi declined to train the opt-out clause in his contract, in response to a supply, and can report back to Triple-A Syracuse.
Remaining two bullpen spots
Fourteen pitchers, conversely, will head to New York, however solely 13 will make the Opening Day roster. The ultimate two bullpen spots will go to some mixture of Michael Tonkin, Sean Reid-Foley and Yohan Ramírez.
Tonkin stays a heavy favourite for a type of jobs, partially due to his glowing Grapefruit League marketing campaign — he didn’t enable a run over 7 2/3 innings — and partially as a result of his “stuff package deal,” as Stearns referred to as it, is exclusive amongst Mets relievers. His low three-quarters arm slot offers hitters a unique look.
If Tonkin makes the crew, that leaves one spot for both Reid-Foley or Ramírez. Each are out of Minor League choices and should be uncovered to waivers in the event that they don’t earn a spot. Each have additionally been well-liked with scouts who watched the Mets this spring. Stearns will possible spend the subsequent few days partaking golf equipment on potential trades earlier than making a ultimate determination.