The New York Mets were dealt a severe blow when young right-hander Zack Wheeler was lost for the 2015 season to Tommy John surgery. Mets fans are thankful for their starting pitching depth, however, since veteran Dillon Gee was around to slide right into Wheeler's spot. Or will it be Rafael Montero?
Mets manager Terry Collins hasn't named Gee the team's fifth starter just yet, and there is chatter that Gee, who was on the trade block earlier this offseason, may still be bait in order to upgrade the roster elsewhere.
Shortstop was originally a glaring hole for the Mets, but the spring training performance of Wilmer Flores might have put their fears there to bed. Flores has hit .333 this spring in 51 plate appearances, to go with two home runs, five doubles and nine RBI. His defense might be an issue going forward, but the Mets will be relying on him to provide quality at-bats.
The Mets may intend on shipping Gee to another team in return for more power in the outfield. The starting outfield is set, but Michael Cuddyer struggles to avoid injury, and Curtis Granderson's strikeout rate and propensity for slumps make him dicey to rely on for an entire season. John Mayberry Jr. offers upside as a bench slugger, but there are no guarantees he will pan out. Gee may be able to fetch a more consistent option.
Gee may also be used to acquire left-handed pitching for the bullpen in the aftermath of reliever Josh Edgin's Tommy John surgery. Last season Gee was 7-8 with a 4.00 ERA in 22 starts and posted a 1.24 WHIP.
[ESPN]
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