There has been an on-going debate as to who would be the team’s fifth starter out of camp. While it was assumed Dillon Gee would replace Zack Wheeler in the rotation, Rafael Montero entered the discussion over the last two weeks, thanks to his outstanding performance in his last three appearances.
However, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, Gee has withstood the competition from Montero and will win the fifth starter job out of Spring Training.
Still, Gee could get traded early in the season, according to Rubin, which could pave the way for Montero to enter the starting rotation anyway, who will start the year in the bullpen.
This isn’t a surprise really. Yes, Montero has better stuff, is younger and proved this spring he can do this, but with the way the roster is constructed, he fits better in a relief role, for now. He effectively serves as a placeholder for Vic Black or Bobby Parnell until one returns. Somehow, these situations always seem to work out, but it will be very interesting to see how the front office noodles with the pitching staff when the time comes.
As I’ve said, it just makes more sense to have Gee start the year in the rotation. He is a veteran and has started his entire career. He had trouble adapting to a bullpen role earlier in camp, and with only five days left before Opening Day, it’s not like he can just make it happen and adapt to a long relief role. The Mets also have Carlos Torres who is an established swing-man, and with Gee in the bullpen, one or the other will essentially rot down there, which is an inefficient use of a roster spot, especially with Gee earning $5.3 million in 2015.
Having Montero in the bullpen also gives the Mets immediate rotation insurance (as opposed to flying someone in from the west coast) in the event there’s an injury, a doubleheader, or they decide to bump Matt Harvey by a day or two to give him a break.
No matter what, there’s going to be a roster crunch sooner rather than later. They’re going to have to make room for Parnell and Black in the near-term, not to mention figuring out how to squeeze in Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz perhaps by mid-year.
Just Mets 