The New York Mets were actively bolstering their roster throughout the offseason by any means necessary, with the waiver wire constantly delivering new players. While many of these acquisitions have been designated for assignment or traded away, there are some who have emerged as viable contenders for the Opening Day roster.
The recent Kodai Senga injury has created an opportunity for competition in the rotation’s fifth spot. Despite initially planning for a six-man rotation, the team may now need to delve deeper into their starting pitching depth with Senga sidelined. This raises questions about the value of keeping these pitchers on standby until they are urgently needed.
As noted by Rising Apple’s John Flynn, the Mets have identified three primary contenders for the position, with Max Kranick emerging as a fourth option. Kranick, acquired via waiver claim from the Pittsburgh Pirates, now stands as a more plausible candidate for securing a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Max Kranick will have a realistic chance to “wow” the Mets this spring and earn an Opening Day roster spot
Numerous factors will influence the final decision regarding the composition of the Mets’ Opening Day roster. Thanks to some early breaks in the schedule, particularly following Opening Day in case of weather-related delays, the team will have an immediate advantage. This could result in the team starting the year with only four starting pitchers and an additional reliever. This would likely be a prudent choice if Jose Butto, Joey Lucchesi, or Tylor Megill emerges as the clear favorite for the spot. However, with Kranick, the situation is different as they cannot easily send him down to the minors without going through waivers.
All else being equal, the Mets might prefer to evaluate Kranick’s performance in major league games before making him available, as the Pirates did this offseason. His recovery from Tommy John Surgery in 2022 has limited his playing time over the last two years. Additionally, with the cancellation of the minor league season in 2020, Kranick hasn’t had many opportunities to pitch.
Jose Butto and Max Kranick are the Mets' expected starting pitchers for Games 2 and 3 in the Grapefruit League. As we said yesterday, Tylor Megill is scheduled to start Saturday's spring opener.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) February 21, 2024
The competition for this rotation spot will kick off early, with three of these depth players expected to start for the Mets in their first three Grapefruit League games.
Leave a Reply