Nelson Figueroa pitched 2 solid innings for the New York Mets yesterday, in their Spring Training opener against the Atlanta Braves. He even struck out the side with 2 men on base in the 2nd inning. However, it is widely believed that Jon Niese, not Figueroa, will fill the final spot in the Mets starting rotation, barring any injuries or disastrous outings, but Figueroa is doing his best to keep the competition alive. So, if Figueroa and Niese both have strong pre-seasons, who should come out with the 5th spot??
Figueroa is 35 years old, and Jon Niese is 22. It seems much more logical to keep Figueroa in the bullpen as a long reliever and give Niese the chance to live up to his potential, but it's hard not to notice the hard work Figueroa has put in dating back to the end of last season. Having a veteran like Figueroa, coming out of the pen and straight out of Brooklyn, is a huge asset for the Mets since everyone other then Johan Santana is under the age of 30. Most Mets fans are just hoping for healthy pitchers. It's been a long time since all 5 of the Mets starting pitchers stayed healthy together. That has been the main problem for the organization, having to replace starters with a makeshift rotation from relievers and journeymen, that is something that they want to avoid this season. So whomever secures the 5th spot, his health will be the main focus because then the Mets can have a full strength bullpen backing up a 5 man rotation ready to compete for the NL EAST title.
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