Wheeler: I’m not angry over Vargas
PORT ST. LUCIE — Zack Wheeler used a mulligan Saturday in explaining his feelings on the Mets’ decision to add veteran lefty Jason Vargas.
A day earlier, the right-hander was short in his responses to reporters’ questions on the subject, and says he was misconstrued as angry. With Vargas on board, the Mets will have at least six starters — if all are healthy — and Wheeler could be squeezed to the bullpen.
“I shouldn’t have been short about it,” Wheeler told The Post. “Anybody who comes and helps out our team is always a plus, especially with Jason. He has a lot of experience, playoff experience and more competition only makes us better, so I’m all for it. Especially anything that is going to help out the team in any particular way.”
Wheeler spent 2015 and ’16 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and was shut down in August last year because of weakness in his pitching arm.
The 35-year-old Vargas, who received a two-year contract worth $16 million that contains a club option for 2020, will give the Mets insurance in the rotation.
“I barely pitched in 2 ¹/2 years,” Wheeler said. “I totally understand it.”
Infielder Phillip Evans said he deleted an Instagram picture from the team’s shark fishing outing because of backlash he received. Among those in the picture was Donald Trump Jr., who happened to be at the beach while the Mets were fishing, according to Evans.
“I didn’t intend it to be any kind of political [statement] at all,” Evans said. “I just thought it was another guy jumping into the photo.”
Matt Harvey and manager Mickey Callaway were also in the photo.
“I was just out there fishing with my teammates and [Trump Jr.] just happened to be there with his family, enjoying the same beach we were,” Evans said. “He was just a normal guy, hanging out with his family on the beach.”
Callaway said it was no different than walking into a restaurant and encountering somebody already in there.
“There is no way we can control that,” Callaway said. “I guess I can call the Secret Service and get their schedule and see if we can schedule things around it.”
Bench coach Gary DiSarcina, who will oversee the infielders, is impressed with what he has seen of Amed Rosario.
“He was on the field and taking ground balls [Friday] and he immediately caught my eye,” DiSarcina said. “That’s what they look like when you think of a big league shortstop — an impact player, body frame, the way his arm slot is, the way he moves his feet when he fields a ground ball, the way he moves left-to-right. Obviously there’s not a lot of those guys around, so I’m really excited to be around him and help him out, be a resource for him.”
The Mets announced that individual game tickets for the regular season are available by calling (718) 507-TIXX or through Mets.com. Opening Day is March 29 against the Cardinals at Citi Field.