It’s that time of year again; pitchers and catchers have officially reported! Many of you have already guessed that with a World Series appearance, the Mets are looking to go back to the big series and win it this time; for the first time since 1986.
But many of you probably don’t know all the new faces, and the not-so-new faces that are competing to be a part of the 40 man roster come April. Over the offseason, deals were done. New players are eager to compete and some familiar faces have parted ways with the Mets and moved on to smaller, less great things.
Here is a list of the key roster moves the Mets have made this winter.
- Yoenis Cespedes
- Antonio Bastardo
The shifty left-handed pitcher was picked up as a free agent this season. Bastardo, who hurled for the Pirates last season, posted a 2.98 earned run average and fanned 64 in a tad over 57 frames. He will be bolstering the already strong Met’s pen with another south paw arm. - Bartolo Colon
The big man is back for another season. At the young age of 42, the second oldest active player in the MLB is still is hurling around 88 miles per hour. Colon was a staple of the Met’s rotation during their playoff run, so it is very exciting to have him back for another year. He will be pitching alongside what is arguably the best rotation in baseball, which should elevate his level of play this season. - Asdrubal Cabrera The 30-year-old short stop came to the Mets as a free agent. He was a good pickup to stabilize the infield. He will be competing with Ruben Tejada and Wilmer Flores for the starting position. This healthy competition should lead to great production out of the SS position this year.
- Daniel Murphy The former second basemen for the Mets turned National this winter. Murphy was debatably the hottest Met during the post season. He posted seven HRs and eleven RBIs between the division series and the league championship series. Leaving a gaping hole in the defense, the Mets picked up Neil Walker for the Pirates to replace Murphy. We wish Murphy the best of luck, but we welcome Walker with open arms.
Talk had it that Cespedes wanted to move on. There was a mess of teams interested in the now 30-year-old slugger. But in the end, the phenom decided to stay in Flushing to play for the Metropolitans. He launched 17 home runs and knocked in 44 runs batted in, with only playing a minuscule 57 games for the Mets in 2015. 2016 should be even better, assuming he stays healthy. 
Players come and players go, but the 2016 Mets look like a very promising team. They are definitely in contention for a playoff bid, and the season hasn’t even started. Keep a lookout on Friday, April 1st as the Mets kick off their season facing off against the Cubs.
