New York Mets 2016 Opening Day Roster Preview
Mar 2, 2014; Jupiter, FL, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Steven Matz (63) throws the ball against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Mets enter their Wednesday night showdown against the San Francisco Giants 31-28, second place in the NL East. While New York is sitting good right now, with playoffs hopes in the foreseeable future, I thought it would be interesting to think about what the Opening Day Roster for New York would be in 2016.
Assuming New York continues to have success the rest of the way, they will be entering the 2016 season as a playoff team. With young players only getting better, and a star-studded pitching rotation in the making, the future looks pretty bright for the Metropolitans.
Pitching:
Assuming everyone stays healthy (fingers crossed), New York will head into 2016 with the pitching rotation they have dreamed of for so long. Zack Wheeler will look to bounce back after undergoing Tommy John surgery this past March, and will join Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Noah Syndergaard. It will be the first time that these four phenoms pitch together on the major league rotation. Now the question is, who will fill the fifth spot?
Bartolo Colon has had a good season thus far, with an 8-4 record heading into the middle part of June. But will he be a Met next season? Colon’s two-year deal, signed back in December of 2013 is up at the end of this year, and is making $11 million this year. Having a veteran in that rotation, especially with all the young arms surrounding him, is an extremely valuable asset, but due to his performance this year, he could be used as trade bait.
Jun 6, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Bartolo Colon (40) pitches during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sport
It’s not a bad idea, considering Colon’s expiring contract, and his value to a team who plans on contending in October. As the trade deadline approaches, General Manager Sandy Alderson will have much pressure to make a move to get this team one step closer in being a legitimate contender this fall, and it certainly will need to be a bat. Jon Niese and Dillon Gee have also been rumored as trade bait, but given their performances thus far, I’m not sure any team is looking for their services.
It’d be great if New York unloads Niese, as he does have some value given that he’s a lefty and relatively young at the age of 29. This would make room for youngster and fellow southpaw Steven Matz to join the major league rotation. Matz is expected to make is major league debut in the coming weeks, according to a source. Matz is 6-4 this season with a 1.94 ERA in Las Vegas.
I expect the bullpen to be about the same. With the returns of Bobby Parnell and Jenrry Mejia; injury and suspension, respectively, the bullpen looks like it will remain solid.
Jeurys Familia has been fantastic this year, stepping into the closer role and excelling. Between their starting rotation and the backend of the bullpen with the three-headed monster that is Familia, Mejia, and Parnell, New York has a excellent bullpen situation.
Next: How will lineup look?