Mets general manager Sandy Alderson is scheduled to begin his drive from New York to Port St. Lucie Wednesday, and there don’t figure to be too many new faces to greet him.
“We’re pretty much there,” Alderson said of what the Mets’ roster is going to look like in spring training. “I don’t see what’s out there filling our specific needs.”
Despite that — and the fact the team’s payroll will be approximately $50 million less than it was a year ago — Alderson said he expects to like what he sees when he arrives.
Alderson has at least postponed the search for a left-handed bat off the bench and regardless of whom he was thinking of bringing in, the starting outfield is expected to remain Jason Bay in left, Andres Torres in center and Lucas Duda in right, with Scott Hairston as the fourth outfielder.
In a division where the Marlins and Nationals made key additions and the Phillies and Braves remained strong, the Mets figure to be in for a daunting challenge.
As R.A. Dickey said last week: “We’ve got to play well. We’ve got to play hard, but we’ve got to be honest about where we are, and that’s the only way I see us getting better, is doing that.”
At the same time, Daniel Murphy talked about competing for the playoffs, a notion Alderson didn’t discourage.
“[He] has every reason to be optimistic,” Alderson said of Murphy. “There are unanswered questions on every team. It’s very important that they not be discouraged and they shouldn’t be. Some teams improved themselves on paper, like the Marlins and maybe Washington, but we can’t let that affect us.”
Instead, he’s going to drill into the Mets his “theme” for the season.
“I really believe we have a tremendous opportunity for improvement from within the organization,” Alderson said. “Nobody had a career year. And everybody — everybody — has something to prove and that can be a powerful component during the season.”
It will have to be, as the Mets clearly are relying on bounce-back seasons from much of their roster, as well as production from unproven players who will fill key roles.
“It’s important guys have the right attitude,” Alderson said. “I think they do and we’ll convey that to them.”