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The Mets have announced their roster for tonight’s win-or-go-home Wild Cad contest. It’s important to remember that this roster is only for the Wild Card game, and if the Mets advance to the NLDS, they’ll create a separate roster for that series.
Pitchers
- Jerry Blevins
- Bartolo Colon
- Josh Edgin
- Jeurys Familia
- Robert Gsellman
- Addison Reed
- Hansel Robles
- Fernando Salas
- Noah Syndergaard
Catchers
- Travis d’Arnaud
- Kevin Plawecki
- Rene Rivera
Infielders
- Asdrubal Cabrera
- Eric Campebll
- Kelly Johnson
- Ty Kelly
- James Loney
- Jose Reyes
- T.J. Rivera
Outfielders
- Jay Bruce
- Yoenis Cespedes
- Michael Conforto
- Alejandro De Aza
- Curtis Granderson
- Juan Lagares
This roster includes nine pitchers and sixteen position players, giving the Mets flexibility for pinch-hitting and defensive substitutions but not a lot of pitching insurance if the game goes into extra innings. The first thing that immediately jumps out is that Lucas Duda is not on the roster. New York had been deliberating earlier this week whether or not to start a “left-handed first baseman,” though the team never specified which one. Now, it appears as though James Loney will get the start at first base. The only other options would be Eric Campbell or Ty Kelly, but their bats are not as strong as Loney’s.
Next, Josh Edgin is on the roster over Josh Smoker as the second left-handed reliever out of the bullpen. Even though Smoker had seemingly been used more frequently in high-leverage situations, this isn’t such a huge deal as lefties were 9-for-25 with two home runs against him this season. Additionally, if everything goes according to plan, the Mets won’t be using more than Blevins, Salas, Reed, and Familia out of the bullpen.
Lastly, Robert Gsellman is on the roster over Seth Lugo. The Mets had discussed adding one of either Gsellman or Lugo to their roster, and, should they advance, are even considering starting Gsellman in Game 1 of the NLDS. Gsellman would likely only pitch in an emergency, however.