Depth

For all the talk about how the Mets have their entire roster set for the upcoming season, minus one player, there really is not a lot of depth on the team. If Carlos Delgado gets injured during the season (and he was back in NY for an MRI), the team really does not have someone to fill in. Yes, the can put someone there, but they really don’t have another first baseman.

While the Mets have a number of people who can play second base (including Luis Castillo, Daimon Easley, Jose Valentin and Rueben Gotay), they really do not have a back up for shortstop or third base. Again, I don’t question that the team would be able to find someone to play the position, but it would not be someone who was trained to play that position.

I think the change in pitching etiquette has a lot to do with this. Pitchers are being used to face fewer and fewer hitters and in more specialized situations. This means teams are using more pitchers in a game and carrying more on the team. More pitching means less people at other positions.

As a lot of people who know me know, I am not a fan of pulling a starting pitcher doing well because it is late in a game and time for him to come out. I am not a fan of making three consecutive pitching changes just to ensure the righty-lefty matchup you want. These types of things are frustrating and I think weaken the game.

Hopefully the Mets will have the depth they need to go to the world series and beyond.