Assessing the Mets final few roster decisions
Taking a deeper look at who might win the final couple of spots up for grabs with Opening Day edging closer...
What’s Up with the Mets? 🌴
The Mets were off on Wednesday, but will be back in action against the Astros later today
Mets prospects will also get a further chance to impress in a Spring Breakout matchup against the Rays tonight
The Mets hosted their annual “New at Citi Field” event on Wednesday, which included the launch of 37 new food items and a 9-9-9 hot dog deal (NBC NY)
What I’m Reading 📖
Phillies star Bryce Harper called Nolan McLean the “best arm he saw last year” (MLB.com)
Here’s the next bunch of Mets pitching prospects on the cusp of making an impact (MLB.com)
One prospect to watch from each team during the Spring Breakout (MLB.com)
The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️
ICYMI: Rich and Andrew went live on Sunday! They discuss Francisco Lindor’s return, Carlos Beltran’s upcoming jersey retirement, the right field competition, and more.
SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Today’s Games 🏝️
Grapefruit League
Match-up: Mets (11-9) at Astros (10-11)
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches - West Palm Beach, FL
Starters: RHP Kodai Senga (0-0, 3.18 ERA) vs. RHP Peter Lambert (1-0, 1.00 ERA)
When: 6:05 PM EDT
Where to Watch: N/A
Spring Breakout
Match-up: Mets Prospects (0-0) vs. Rays Prospects (0-0)
Where: Clover Park - Port St. Lucie, FL
Starters: TBD vs. TBD
When: 7:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY, MLBN
Breaking down the final roster questions ahead of Opening Day ✍️
The Mets survived the World Baseball Classic, which means that all eyes are now firmly on Opening Day.
And, with the start of the regular season now exactly a week away, now is a good time to take a deep dive into the remaining rostering scenarios facing the Mets.
In truth, there are only a couple of decisions left to be made by the front office, so let’s start with position players.
The most intriguing and important roster battle to keep an eye on is out in right field, just as it has been all spring. It does appear as of right now that the front office will wait until the last minute to make a decision on Carson Benge, although the rookie has done everything in his power to make the Opening Day roster.
We’ve talked ad nauseam about Benge throughout spring training, but all with good reason. After all, the outfielder has attacked camp with a real maturity and has looked better and better as the weeks have gone by. Entering the final few days of Grapefruit League action, he’s hitting .406/.472/.500/.972 with 13 hits, a double, a triple, three walks, and five RBIs. Benge has also shown a rocket of an arm out in right, and he looks more than equipped to help the 2026 Mets from the very get-go.
Of course, if Benge does indeed prove triumphant in his quest to win the team, that raises several more questions about the 26-man roster. Will the Mets want to carry all of Benge, Mike Tauchman, Mark Vientos, and Tyrone Taylor? And what about Vidal Brujan? Let’s answer the latter question first. With Francisco Lindor looking more than likely to be healthy for Opening Day, Brujan is expendable at this point and looks set to be the odd man out.
As discussed before, not only is Tauchman having a really nice spring, but he’s a valuable bench piece and he would be given another opportunity elsewhere in a hurry. He offers a lot of value as a role player and as a mentor to Benge. If Benge makes the team, he’s likely to be the starter out in right field, meaning Tauchman could be used as a late-innings defensive replacement to help shore up the outfield. I think Taylor could take on the same role too. For instance, it makes sense for Taylor to come in to spell Luis Robert Jr. late in games over Tauchman, who doesn’t have a great arm and has lost some range. Another option, especially if the Mets want the best of both worlds, could be to start Tauchman out in right every few days in order to ease Benge’s workload early on in his first season in the majors.
Personally, I have been beyond impressed by what I’ve seen from Benge so far this spring, and I would love to see him given a chance to show what he could do in games that actually matter right from the jump. I think he’s earned that opportunity at this point. And Tauchman isn’t a bad safety net to have in terms of being able to slot in out in right whenever Benge needs a breather.
Then there is Mark Vientos. The infielder isn’t having a great spring and is hitting only .040 with zero home runs. That, coupled with a disappointing 2025 season, sees Vientos as the odd man out heading into 2026. With that said, barring a late trade, Vientos is almost a lock to make the team as a bench player. In an ideal world, I would like the front office to try and move Vientos in order to free up the final bench spot, which should go to Ronny Mauricio. He’s having a good spring with 10 hits and five RBIs, and I like the idea of his speed being a real weapon coming off the bench late in games. I think if Vientos struggles to make an impression in the opening couple of months of the season, then demoting him and bringing Mauricio back up would be the smart move.
Furthermore, I’m not really sure how Vientos fits on this team, even as a role player. You figure Bo Bichette will play every day at third, plus we know Vientos’ glove isn’t great over at the hot corner anyway. And Jorge Polanco and Brett Baty figure to split duties over at first base. There will be opportunities at DH, sure, but long-term, I imagine Polanco will almost exclusively be used as the designated hitter, with Baty getting the majority of reps at first. Therefore, I just don’t see Vientos having that big a role in 2026, especially if his slow spring carries over into the regular season. Again, it would make way more sense to try and trade Vientos, even with his low value, to open up a bench spot for one of Mauricio or Brujan, both of whom would arguably offer more value as a role player at this point than Vientos.
So, in conclusion, if the Mets do carry a six-man rotation, that leaves only four available bench spots. Luis Torrens, Taylor, and Vientos should all be considered locks, while I think Tauchman will get the final bench spot if Benge makes the team. However, if Benge is sent down to Triple-A to start the year, then that opens up a place for one of Brujan or Mauricio. In that situation, Brujan could be back in favor given his versatility and defensive value. Alternatively, the Mets could opt to not carry Tauchman and instead have Brujan or Mauricio on the bench, instead allowing for Baty to back up Benge in right when needed. However, I think Tauchman brings a lot to the table in terms of leadership, a veteran presence, mentorship, not to mention his skills at the plate. I think it would be a mistake not to have Tauchman on the roster.
All in all, my gut tells me that Benge will be the starter out in right field, with Taylor, Vientos, and Tauchman all making the bench.
Now, let’s discuss the bullpen.
There is only one spot left open with two candidates currently battling it out. Veteran Craig Kimbrel and former Brewer Bryan Hudson. Hudson has allowed three earned runs over 2.1 innings this spring, while Kimbrel has issued five walks and allowed three hits over five innings. Now, Hudson is a lefty and could pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen, but I’m really sold on Kimbrel making the team. Yes, his velocity isn’t great (his fastball sat around 93 mph in his last outing), but he comes with a boatload of experience and brings a really valuable veteran presence to both the bullpen and the clubhouse. Given what the Mets hope to achieve this year, I think giving the last bullpen spot to Kimbrel would be a smart move. He’s had a good camp, and he brings a lot of crucial intangibles to the table.
All in all, with only a few spring training games remaining, there are a number of things still at stake when it comes to the makeup of the 2026 roster, and it should be fascinating to watch play out.
Around the League 🚩
Yankees RHP Gerrit Cole made his spring training debut on Wednesday, firing a scoreless inning in a 1-0 win over the Red Sox
RHP Shohei Ohtani, making his spring training pitching debut, tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts as the Dodgers beat the Giants, 5-1
Blue Jays RHP José Berríos will begin the season on the IL with a stress fracture in his right elbow (MLB.com)
Braves RHP Didier Fuentes has now retired 26 of the 27 batters he’s faced this spring, including striking out eight across four perfect innings in a 3-2 win over the Phillies on Wednesday
Why in the world would Tauchman take over late in games over Benge? That makes zero sense when Benge is clearly a much better rocket arm and has speed in spades plus his youth over Tauchman. A defensive replacement would be Tauchman starting and Benge taking over for him late in games. Benge makes this team and should be given runway to solidify himself as a big leaguer. Tauchman can play some first base plus DH too. He knows his role as a bench player but the idea of him taking over as a defensive replacement late in games isn’t anything near the realm of possibilities if knowledge of baseball is what we are trying to achieve here. I believe Taylor will be on a short leash because Pache had a great ST too. MJ killed his chances by sitting on PR’s WBC bench as he was killing the ball too. The only reason Taylor goes north is his better MlB history right now over a chance Pache has figured it out. If Taylor goes back to his .180 avg. he won’t be here long and Melendez or Pache will get called up. Vientos needs to be elsewhere and will be traded asap imo. Mauricio needs to play every day and we see what he can do given that opportunity. Baty will be the regular first baseman and I really believe he will give .280 plus 20/25hr. 90 RBI. I think he comps as an Olerud. Watch. He has figured it out and the second half last year was him doing what he will be going forward.
This is where Cohen's money can come into play a little bit. You could offer sweeteners ($$$) for Tauchman and Kimbrell ($$$) to go to Syracuse for a while to open the season. Would be good use of his fiscal strength. At this point in his career, is $250,000 too much money for Tauchman to walk away from. Kimbrell made enough he might not care. I hope Mets have some control over Hudson going to AAA. Liked his arm, sure we will need at some point. A major issue is the six starter nonsense. The Mets did a great job of accumulating MLB fringe talent for backup roles, and some have outperformed. As far as Melendez goes, as I have said all off-season since he signed, get him back behind the plate defensively. A lefty catcher on the bench, with pop, is gold.