Who makes the Mets Bench and OF to start the season?

[Guest vtmet]

We know that the 5 Infield Position players are a given:
Wright; Tejada; Murphy; Ike; Buck...

but who do you think will fill out the OF and the bench positions?

Are there any "locks" for every day starting jobs in the OF? Or is it just a plethora of platoon/role players?

[Guest vtmet]

I'm guessing:

OF: Duda; Cowgill; Byrd; Valdy and Den Dekker

and the rest:
Quintanilla; Turner; Anthony Recker;

[Ceetar]

Recker's all but assured.

It'll be Hicks on the infield.

Seems like Cowgill will get one of the non Nieuwenhuis/Duda/Baxter spots. I think those three are pretty set. Byrd probably gets one of the others, though I'd like to see Brown.

[Theoldmole]

Turner IF, Byrd and Cowgill OF unless Cowgill gets a starting role. Valdespin as swingman.

[Vic Sage]

Duda / Valdespin / Byrd - They brought in Byrd to be the everyday RFer and leadoff hitter and so far, he has not disappointed. Duda gets the job by default; they really need his power and have nobody else. Valdespin has consistently shown an adequate OF glove and has the bat that neither Nieuwy or DenDekker has shown to date in the majors. if Valdy doesn't get it, i think they go with DenDekker since, unlike Nieuwy, he has a great glove to go with his huge K rate.

Baxter / Cowgill / Hicks / Turner / Recker - Cowgill will back up Valdy and Duda, and Baxter will back up Byrd and offer a LHed bat off the bench. Recker's a lock as backup C, Hicks is the only viable backup MI/SS currently on the 40man, and Turner battles Lutz as the 25th man. If Valdy is on the bench, then he becomes the backup MI, and they drop either Hicks or Turner.

Byrd / Baxter
Tejada / Hicks
Murphy / Turner
Wright / Turner
Davis / Turner
Duda / Cowgill
Valdespin / Cowgill
Buck / Recker

[Theoldmole]

I think the idea of having 12 pitchers is ridiculous. But then, I think the idea of having 11 pitchers is ridiculous.

[Guest vtmet]

TheOldMole wrote: I think the idea of having 12 pitchers is ridiculous. But then, I think the idea of having 11 pitchers is ridiculous.

agreed...and there have been times that teams have carried 13 or even 14 pitchers during patches of a season...

with the crazy amount of pitchers that teams carry, I think that the 25 man roster (and even only being allowed to protect 40 players) is vastly outdated...

[Vic Sage]

or they could just carry fewer goddamn pitchers!

[Ceetar]

They're already being (overly?) criticized for over using some/most of their pitchers (Byrdak, Feliciano, etc etc) no way they should carry less.

[Edgy MD]

They can and should cut their "use" by (1) not continuously shortening the typical workload of starters, and by (2) pitching relievers less frequently for longer stints instead of more frequently for shorter stints. These strategies would serve baseball and pitchers morer than expanding the roster. That would only lead to ever more pitching changes.

Baseball would be wet and wild and awesome with rosters of 16-18 guys.

[Theoldmole]

If you carry 12 pitchers, that means that in any number of key situations, you're going with your 12th best guy.

[Valadius]

Brennan Boesch cut by Detroit. Worth taking a flyer on?

[Vic Sage]

Other than a 2-month span 3 years ago, he's Duda without the walks.
No thanks.

[Theoldmole]

.240 with 12 HRs last year? How is that better than what they have?

[ashie62]

TheOldMole wrote: I think the idea of having 12 pitchers is ridiculous. But then, I think the idea of having 11 pitchers is ridiculous.

I'm an old school 9 pitchers and a 4 man rotation guy.

As far as the OF goe Nieuwenhuis should be worried about makling the Club..

[Guest vtmet]

TheOldMole wrote: .240 with 12 HRs last year? How is that better than what they have?

...but it was somebody else's lefty corner OFer that batted .240 with 12 HRs, it must be that he needs a better opportunity than he was getting in an over-crowded OF in Detroit...

[ashie62]

Boesch is pretty young and didnt think he had reached his ceiling yet..Maybe he goosed Miguel Cabrera

There is enough mediocrity in the Mets OF, I'll pass

[Ceetar]

Ceetar wrote: Recker's all but assured. It'll be Hicks on the infield. Seems like Cowgill will get one of the non Nieuwenhuis/Duda/Baxter spots. I think those three are pretty set. Byrd probably gets one of the others, though I'd like to see Brown.

I think I'm leaning towards Bixler instead of Hicks.

[ashie62]

If you want to se Brown look in the toilet