PORT ST. LUCIE — Without saying the Mets are finished adding players for the season, acting general manager Zack Scott on Monday indicated the team has about reached that point.
“I feel really good about the roster as it is right now,” Scott said after the Mets’ initial full-squad workout. “I think we’re pretty settled with the 40-man. We may have some other type of non-roster deals and there might be some other opportunities that present themselves during the spring, but I feel very good about the group that we have here right now.”
It’s a group that includes starting pitcher Taijuan Walker, who signed a two-year deal with the club over the weekend. Albert Almora Jr., Kevin Pillar and Jonathan Villar were other depth pieces that arrived in recent weeks. The Mets’ big splashes came earlier in the winter, with the additions of Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco, James McCann and Trevor May, after Marcus Stroman returned on a qualifying offer.
Asked specifically about the bullpen, which added only May and Aaron Loup on major league deals (and lost a potential big piece with Seth Lugo’s elbow surgery that will prevent the right-hander from throwing until at least April), Scott indicated he was content.
“I like what we have right now,” Scott said. “I think there’s guys that probably didn’t have the seasons they wanted to have last year, but I expect good things from them this year. There’s a lot of big arms here in this bullpen so I am excited about the guys we have.”
Scott also said the Mets are set at third base.
“J.D. Davis is a really strong player for our organization,” Scott said. “We have some versatility with some of the other guys we brought in here, so I feel really good about it.”
Dominic Smith, Carlos Carrasco and two other players (whom manager Luis Rojas didn’t name) were absent from the first workout for non-injury reasons. Rojas indicated the expectation is the players will begin workouts by the end of the week.
Rojas, Scott and team president Sandy Alderson all spoke to the players on a Zoom call before the workout.
“We talked about how talented we are and acknowledging that, but being cognizant that is not going to do it only,” Rojas said. “We need to work hard to get to the point where we are going to be that contender. We are going to be that team that goes out there with a winning mentality.”
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