NEW YORK METS
Manager: Luis Rojas (second season).
2020: 26-34, tied for fourth place.
Training Town: Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Park: Clover Park.
First Workout: Feb. 19/22.
He’s Here: SS Francisco Lindor, RHP Carlos Carrasco, C James McCann, RHP Trevor May, RHP Marcus Stroman, LHP Aaron Loup, OF/1B Jose Martinez, LHP Joey Lucchesi, RHP Jacob Barnes, INF Jonathan Villar (deal pending), CF Albert Almora Jr., RHP Jordan Yamamoto, LHP Stephen Tarpley, RHP Sean ReidFoley, RHP Yennsy Diaz, RHP Sam McWilliams, OF Khalil Lee, RHP Arodys Vizcaino, LHP Jerry Blevins, INF/OF Jose Peraza, OF Mallex Smith, RHP Jerad Eickhoff, INF/OF Brandon Drury, SS Wilfredo Tovar, president Sandy Alderson, acting GM Zack Scott.
He’s Outta Here: GM Brodie Van Wagenen, 2B Robinson Cano, C Wilson Ramos, SS Amed Rosario, INF Andres Gimenez, RHP Rick Porcello, RHP Michael Wacha, LHP Justin Wilson, LHP Steven Matz, LHP Chasen Shreve, OF Jake Marisnick, 3B Todd Frazier, OF Yoenis Cespedes, C Robinson Chirinos, RHP Jared Hughes, INF Eduardo Nunez, C Rene Rivera, RHP Erasmo Ramirez, RHP Paul Sewald, RHP Hunter Strickland, RHP Ariel Jurado, RHP Corey Oswalt, C Ali Sanchez, OF Ryan Cordell, INF Jed Lowrie.
Going campin’: The whirlwind offseason has been a rollercoaster ride since new owner Steve Cohen bought the franchise from the Wilpon and Katz families for $2.42 billion in early November. Cohen brought back Alderson, the Mets’ general manager from 2010-18, as team president and he immediately fired Van Wagenen and several top aides. Cano was then suspended for 162 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug for the second time in his decorated career. New York abandoned its initial search for a president of baseball operations and hired Jared Porter as GM — only to fire him just more than a month later when ESPN reported he sent sexually explicit, uninvited text messages and images to a female reporter in 2016 when he was working for the Cubs in their front office. Scott, hired as assistant GM on Dec. 23 after 17 seasons with Boston, was promoted to acting general manager. With deep pockets, Cohen had the busy Mets shopping at the top of the market all winter. They landed a big star in Lindor, along with Carrasco, in a blockbuster trade with Cleveland, but missed out on premium free agents Trevor Bauer, George Springer, J.T. Realmuto, DJ LeMahieu and Brad Hand. Significant upgrades at catcher (McCann) and shortstop (Lindor) make a dangerous lineup even longer, but the Mets need to come through in the clutch. They ranked second in the majors in onbase percentage last year and third in OPS, yet finished only 13th in runs. New York focused on building much-needed depth this offseason and filled out a pitching staff that struggled behind two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom. The team hopes to get starter Noah Syndergaard back from Tommy John surgery in June.