A WHOLE NEW SPRING
Mets set to begin totally different campaign from 2023
The Mets’ Clover Field complex in Port St. Lucie is already seeing plenty of action with just over a week to go before pitchers and catchers report for spring training. The equipment truck departed Queens on Friday and several players have already arrived in anticipation of the 2024 season.
A year ago, the lineup and the rotation were more or less locked in before camp even opened. The Mets returned much of the same lineup from their 2022 Wild Card team and had replaced departing starters with high-end veteran talent. This spring, however, things are far from settled.
A new president of baseball operations (David Stearns) and a new manager (Carlos Mendoza) will oversee a team with elite veteran talent and plenty of emerging question marks. The Mets opted not to get a big bat this winter, instead choosing to prioritize at-bats for young players like Mark Vientos and Brett Baty. The Mets fortified the pitching staff, but also have some back-end pitchers who will push for starting spots and relief roles.
Here’s a look at where the Mets stand as they head into spring training and some anticipated position battles.
INFIELD
Without Ronny Mauricio, Baty and Vientos will compete for the starting job. Utility infielder Joey Wendle will be an insurance policy of sorts.
Baty struggled at times last year and at others, the 24-year-old showed flashes of power. Vientos brought three gloves to spring training last season and he may do the same this year, though he’s not expected to be a part of the outfield conversation. He’s expected to be utilized heavily as a DH.
Wendle was signed to a one-year contract in late November. His bat hasn’t been the same since his AllStar season in 2021, but he’s a capable defender at several spots. Look for Wendle to play at second when Jeff McNeil starts in the outfield.
OUTFIELD
The biggest question here is whether Brandon Nimmo will move to left field full-time to accommodate Harrison Bader in center field. Bader is an elite defender and Stearns has made it clear that run prevention is a key emphasis, but the answer as to whether Nimmo will move permanently is still somewhat unclear.
Maybe. Probably. It’s likely. Bader will make $10.5 million next year, which isn’t fourth-outfielder money. Nimmo told Stearns that he’s open to doing whatever the club feels is best. Last month, Stearns said the team plans to wait until after spring training to evaluate all options. Bader has been somewhat injury-prone throughout his career, but so has Nimmo.
Tyrone Taylor, who was acquired in the trade with the Brewers for right-handed starter Adrian Houser, can play all three outfield positions and limit runs. In 331 games, Taylor has never committed an error, and while errors might not be a defining metric, it’s still impressive. He has range and a plus-arm. He has some pop in his bat as well.
All of this is to say that Taylor is there if Starling Marte can’t return to form. He’s finally healthy after dealing with groin injuries last season, which should bode well for the Mets.
CATCHER
It’s not much of a competition behind the plate. Francisco Alvarez is coming off a banner rookie season highlighted by 25 home runs and rave reviews from pitchers. Omar Narvaez is No. 2 on the depth chart. Stearns, who traded for Narvaez in 2019 as the head of baseball ops with the Brewers, has said the catcher is eager to play and will.
STARTING ROTATION
Tylor Megill has faced competition for a starting role in each of the last two years and yet ended up starting the home opener in 2022 and 2023. Once again, he’ll have to compete with a veteran group for a spot. Kodai Senga, Luis Severino, Jose Quintana, Sean Manaea and
Houser are penciled in to go 1-5, so that means Megill, Jose Butto and Joey Lucchesi (left) will compete for a potential sixth spot in the rotation.
Once again, the Mets plan to use a six-man rotation periodically next year, depending on the schedule. Lucchesi, Megill and Butto all have minor-league options left, so they’ll all receive starts at some point. For now, they’ll compete with a more established group in camp.
BULLPEN
Outside of Edwin Diaz, Adam Ottavino and Brooks Raley, the bullpen competition is relatively open. Right-hander Drew Smith can be penciled in once again and should the Mets complete the deal with Jake Diekman, he’ll give the Mets another left-handed option outside of Raley. Shintaro Fujinami is a wild card given his up-and-down rookie season. Michael Tonkin, Jorge Lopez, Yohan Ramirez, Sean Reid-Foley, Grant Hartwig and left-hander Josh Walker are all in the mix for the remaining spots.
Mississippi’s state auditor filed court papers Monday renewing his call for Brett Favre to repay the state for welfare money that the auditor says was improperly spent on projects backed by the retired NFL quarterback.
Auditor Shad White’s demand of nearly $730,000 from Favre is the latest twist in a long-running legal battle over money that was supposed to help some of the poorest people in one of the poorest states in the nation.
Favre, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member who lives in Mississippi, filed lawsuits in February 2023 accusing White and two national sportscasters of defaming him in public discussions about welfare misspending.
White said in 2020 that Favre had improperly received $1.1 million in speaking fees from a nonprofit organization.
TOP TEAMS STAY PUT
Reigning national champion Connecticut, Purdue and North Carolina remained atop The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for the third consecutive week, while South Carolina cracked the rankings for the first time in nearly seven years.
The Huskies earned 45 of 61 first-place votes to remain at No. 1 for the fourth straight week in Monday’s poll, while the Boilermakers topped the ballots of 16 other voters.
The top of the poll remained set after a big week that included four top-10 matchups over the weekend, with Purdue winning at Wisconsin and UNC beating rival Duke. The week also included Kansas beating Houston, which vaulted the Jayhawks up four spots to No. 4 and dropped the Cougars one spot to No. 5.
IOWA WOMEN BACK AT NO. 2
Caitlin Clark and Iowa climbed back to No. 2 in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll Monday as the star guard moved within striking distance of the NCAA career scoring record.
It’s the second time in a few weeks that the Hawkeyes have been second in the poll, a spot that hasn’t been kind to teams the past month. UCLA, Iowa and Kansas State all took turns in the second position since Jan. 8 and none of the schools could hold that ranking for more than a week at a time.
ROYALS’ WITT NETS $288.7M
The Royals agreed with shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. on an 11-year deal worth more than $288.7 million guaranteed, two people familiar with the contract told The Associated Press on Monday, locking up one of baseball’s young stars as the club tries to turn around its fortunes and persuade a weary fanbase to invest in a new stadium.
The deal includes a three-year, $89 million team option that would drive the value to more than $377 million and keep Witt in Kansas City through the 2037 season, according to the people, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the financial terms were not disclosed. Witt’s guaranteed salary makes it the 16th-largest current deal in Major League Baseball and second-biggest pre-arbitration agreement behind the 14-year, $340 million contract the Padres gave Fernando Tatis Jr. last April.
BELICHICK SON TO HUSKIES
Steve Belichick has agreed to be the defensive coordinator for new coach Jedd Fisch at Washington, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press on Monday.
The son of NFL coaching great Bill Belichick will take a role in college for the first time following 12 seasons working on the staff of the Patriots with his dad. Steve Belichick, 36, was the defensive play-caller for the Patriots for the past five seasons. He was also a secondary/safeties and outside linebackers coach with the Patriots during his tenure.
Steve Belichick and his brother, Brian, had both been offered spots to stay on the coaching staff in New England with new coach Jerod Mayo if their father didn’t land another head coaching position. Brian Belichick had coached safeties with the Patriots since 2020.