Mets Bench

The Mets bench has completely turned over from where it was last season.  RF Angel Pagan is now officially a starter, IF Alex Cora was released late last season, OF Chris Carter was non-tendered and signed by the Rays this off season, C Henry Blanco signed with the D-backs as a free agent, and IF/OF Fernando Tatis remains unsigned after undergoing shoulder surgery last season.

1.  Fourth Outfielder:  The Mets don't really have a fourth outfielder.  The front runner here is probably OF Willie Harris, but there are some problems here.  Harris is more of a utility player than an outfielder in many ways and he's only a non-roster invitee so he has to work his way onto the team.  On the other hand, there isn't much competition for Harris because he's basically the only guy with Major League experience in center field besides CF Carlos Beltran and Pagan, who are both starting.  Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Jason Pridie are also competing for a spot on the team, but they too are long shots.  Still, Nieuwenhuis and Pridie have as good of a chance to make the team as the fourth outfielder as Harris.

2.  Utility Infielder:  The Mets basically lack a utility infielder too.  In an odd sort of way, the front runner is Luis Hernandez, who only played a handful of games with the Mets last season.  Ruben Tejada is also competing for a job, but he's being undermined by the fact that he's competing for the starting second base man's job and by the fact that manager Terry Collins has said that he wants Tejada at Buffalo playing shortstop.  Also competing are Brad Emaus, Chin-lung Hu, Justin Turner, and Jordany Valdespin (all of these guys are long shots to win the second base job too).  Russ Adams is a long-shot candidate to win the role (Adams will probably get looked at for second base as well).

3.  Reserve Catcher:  The definite front runner here is Ronny Paulino.  He has guaranteed money and a good resume.  Also, he tears up left-handers and is expected to platoon with Josh Thole.  The main problem with Paulino is that he's suspended for the first eight games of the season following a positive PED test.  The solution to the problem created by the eight-game suspension appears to be Mike Nickeas right now.  Paulino is also having visa problems and you never know how those might play out, so Nickeas may have bitten off more than he can chew.  And hey, if Nickeas has a good Spring he might just win the job.  Veterans Raul Chavez and Dusty Ryan and foreign import Kai Gronauer (Germany) are long-shots to win the job.

4.  Left-handed Bat:  Carter had 19 pinch hits last season and a .300 batting average in that role, and all that after starting the season off at Buffalo.  The decision to non-tender him is probably GM Sandy Alderson's biggest mistake so far.  The front runner to replace him right now is OF Lucas Duda, on paper at least.  Duda is a slugger who probably wouldn't make a good pinch hitter, but he could be utilized in a Matt Stairs type of role given his power.  But Collins has said that he wants Duda playing left field at Buffalo.  His main competition is IF/OF Daniel Murphy, but Murphy is in the running for the second base job and has to prove that his injuries are behind him.  The bottom line is that if Murphy wins the second base job Duda will probably be on the bench.  Valdespin and OF Fernando Martinez are also competing for the role.  Adams, Nieuwenhuis, and Pridie are long shot candidates to win the role.

5.  Right-handed Bat:  The front runner to win this job, according to the organization at least, is 1B Nick Evans.  Evans is out of options and if he gets cut his days as a Met are probably over.  And, on paper, he doesn't really have any legitimate competition.  Evans has a lot of power and tears up left-handed pitching.  Realistically, though, the job will probably go to OF Scott Hairston.  Hairston also has power and is guaranteed money.  Others competing are Nickeas, Emaus, Hu, IF Zach Lutz, Tejada, and Turner.  Chavez, Gronauer, and Ryan are long shots to win the role.