Opening Day Roster

[MagicPunt]

Lineup:

SS Reyes
C Lo Duca
CF Beltran
1B Delgado
3B Wright
LF Alou
RF Green
2B Valentin
P

Bench:
C Castro
1B Franco
IF Easley
OF Chavez
IF Hernandez/OF Milledge

SP Glavine
SP Hernandez
SP Maine
SP Perez
SP Williams/Heilman

RP Mota
RP Feliciano
RP Burgos
RP Adkins
RP Heilman/Williams
Setup Sanchez
Closer Wagner

[Amazinz]

Looks good. Couple of things though...

We're likely to see Newhan and/or Ben Johnson on the opening day roster. Barring some crazy circumstances Milledge and A. Hernandez will both start the season in New Orleans.

I believe that Pelfrey and Humber will also start the year in NO but I don't see Williams or Heilman as the likely options for the 5th spot. Williams has an outside shot but he seems destined for long relief. Also, the Mets track record with Heilman seals his fate IMHO. I have definitely warmed to the idea of giving him a 2nd shot but I don't think the Mets have. I think Vargas and Soler (and perhaps Sosa) will contest the 5th spot the most. Also, Zambrano whom I expect will be signed to an incentive-based deal shortly. Of course this all assumes that one of the oft-rumored trades doesn't actually go through. In the first month the Mets are likely to lean on the 4-man rotation, like a lot of teams do, so we might head into '07 much the same way we did last year.

Mota will start the season serving his 50-game suspension for steroids. I realize you wrote his up before the Schoeneweis signing was official but he's a lock so that at least leaves Adkins as the odd man out. I also feel like Padilla will be in the mix from the get go, although that is more hunch than anything. And then there is Sosa who will certainly be in the pen if he's not in the rotation.

Everyone is expecting Burgos to be in the pen from the start but to me it would not be terribly surprising to see him start at NO. Peterson already has his hands on him at the mini so we should have a clearer picture on that pretty soon.