Mets' David Stearns remains committed to giving Brett Baty and Mark Vientos their shot
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said he still is committed to giving prospect Mark Vientos the first chance to fill the DH spot this season. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — It’s still possible for a free agent such as J.D. Martinez to walk through the Mets’ clubhouse door before spring training ends.
But don’t count on it, president of baseball operations David Stearns said on Friday.
Another free agent who has been linked to the Mets — former Met J.D. Davis — agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with Oakland on Friday night.
In a state-of-the-camp address at Clover Park, Stearns said he still is committed to giving prospects Brett Baty and Mark Vientos the first chance to fill the Mets’ third base and designated hitter spots when the season opens on March 28.
When asked directly if he expects the players currently in camp to be the primary options in those spots on Opening Day, the usually verbose Stearns answered, “Yeah, I do.”
Asked before Davis’ Oakland deal about Davis and Martinez, Stearns said: “I think our frame on this is we’re never going to stop looking to improve our team, improve our organization. That doesn’t stop on the first day of spring training. It’s not going to stop on Opening Day. We’ll continue to do that throughout the year. So there are always going to be discussions going on.
“ I’m not going to comment on any specific player or any specific discussion, but there are always going to be ongoing discussions internally and externally about ways we think we may be able to add to our organization.”
Baty is batting .257 with one home run after going 1-for-3 on Friday. Vientos (0-for-3) is at .189 with three home runs. Neither is an accomplished defensive third baseman, but neither is Davis. Martinez is a DH only.
“I think both [Baty and Vientos] have clearly worked on their defense,” Stearns said. “And we’ve seen that. I think both have shown signs defensively at third base that they can play that position. That’s exciting for me to see. I think that’s exciting for our organization.
“Offensively, I think they’re working to get their timing down, and we’ve seen that as well. But these are guys who have hit consistently throughout their careers, and I certainly have confidence that can continue.”
The most likely scenario has the lefthanded-hitting Baty starting at third base and the righthanded-hitting Vientos being part of a DH mix. But those decisions might go right down to the wire.
“I still think, and I’ll continue to think, that it’s important for us to give young players who have consistently succeeded at the minor-league level chances to contribute at the major-league level,” Stearns said. “I think that’s important. Those two guys certainly fall into that category. I’ve also been consistent that that needs to happen over the course of the year, right? It may not need to happen exactly on Opening Day. It can. And we’re still sorting through that.”
Stearns said he thinks the Mets’ first spring training under his and manager Carlos Mendoza’s leadership “has gone well,” with the exception of the shoulder injury suffered by ace starter Kodai Senga.
Mendoza said the best part for him has been watching his players prepare day in and day out.
“The way they go about their business, how they’re playing the game, and some of the conversations we’re having behind the scenes,” he said. “I think that connections and relationships have been great, but I think the fun part is just watching these guys prepare each and every day in the way they’re going about their business. That’s been fun and exciting.”
Still to be decided? The third base and DH spots, the last few bench and bullpen pieces, and the fifth starter (although Tylor Megill seems to be the favorite for that job).
The last piece to the puzzle — and perhaps the most important to fans — is this: Does Stearns think he has built a playoff team even if the Mets don’t add anyone before the opener?
“I feel the same as I did when I spoke to you [reporters] a month ago,” he said. “I think we have a team that is going to be competitive. A good team. It’s a team that likely did not perform up to its talent a year ago and many of those core pieces are back this year and I think are very motivated to have a good year.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
