The New York Mets ended a rather forgettable season last year four games under .500. However, the offseason did begin quite promising with the canning of former GM Omar Minaya and coach Jerry Manuel and the hiring of new GM Sandy Alderson. The new GM then brought in some highly regarded baseball men, Paul Depodesta as vice president of player development and scouting, and J.P. Ricciardi as special assistant to Alderson, to form a very formidable front office, which would be active combing through the bargain bin.
Many New York fans think of a lost offseason as one where their team didn't land a prize free agent -- this Mets team did not but they also did one better, taking disaster to a new level as ownership announced that they sought a buyer for at least 25 percent of the team.
And while the Mets did not ink any marquee names, they did make some lower-risk (and cost), medium-reward-type signings this offseason: bringing in D.J. Carrasco and Taylor Buchholz to help the bullpen; Ronny Paulino to team with Josh Thole, Ching-Lung Hu to fill a backup middle infield spot; and signing Chris Capuano and Chris Young to fill out the rotation. New York also signed left-handed relievers Taylor Tankersley, Casey Fossum and Tim Byrdak. None of these signings are flashy or exciting, but still guys who will undoubtedly factor into the results on the field this season.
Nothing is every boring for this franchise, but finally, after a rather busy offseason, it's time to actually hit the field. Among those who have already reported to camp: David Wright, Thole, Daniel Murphy, Capuano, and Dillon Gee.
And no matter what happens during the offseason, it's hard to not get excited for a new season of baseball!
Here are some key Spring Training dates:
- Feb. 15 -- Pitchers and catchers report.
- Feb. 19 -- Full squad reports.
- Feb. 26 -- First Spring Training game.
- April 1 -- Opening day
And here is the Mets full Spring Training schedule:
| Date | Time | Away | Home | Ballpark |
| Sat, Feb 26, 2011 | 1:10 pm EST | Braves | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Sun, Feb 27, 2011 | 12:10 pm EST | Wolverines | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Sun, Feb 27, 2011 | 1:05 pm EST | Mets | @ Braves | Champion Stadium |
| Mon, Feb 28, 2011 | 1:10 pm EST | Nationals | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Tue, Mar 01, 2011 | 1:05 pm EST | Mets | @ Nationals | Space Coast Stadium |
| Wed, Mar 02, 2011 | 1:05 pm EST | Mets | @ Cardinals | Roger Dean Stadium |
| Thu, Mar 03, 2011 | 1:10 pm EST | Cardinals | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Fri, Mar 04, 2011 | 1:05 pm EST | Mets | @ Marlins | Roger Dean Stadium |
| Sat, Mar 05, 2011 | 1:05 pm EST | Mets | @ Braves | Champion Stadium |
| Sun, Mar 06, 2011 | 1:10 pm EST | Red Sox | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Mon, Mar 07, 2011 | 1:10 pm EST | Tigers | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Tue, Mar 08, 2011 | 1:05 pm EST | Mets | @ Astros | Osceola County Stadium |
| Tue, Mar 08, 2011 | 1:10 pm EST | Nationals | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Wed, Mar 09, 2011 | 1:10 pm EST | Astros | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Thu, Mar 10, 2011 | 1:05 pm EST | Mets | @ Nationals | Space Coast Stadium |
| Thu, Mar 10, 2011 | 1:05 pm EST | Mets | @ Marlins | Roger Dean Stadium |
| Fri, Mar 11, 2011 | 1:10 pm EST | Marlins | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Sat, Mar 12, 2011 | 1:05 pm EST | Mets | @ Braves | Champion Stadium |
| Sun, Mar 13, 2011 | 1:10 pm EDT | Cardinals | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Tue, Mar 15, 2011 | 7:10 pm EDT | Nationals | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Wed, Mar 16, 2011 | 1:05 pm EDT | Mets | @ Twins | Lee County Sports Complex, Hammond County Stadium |
| Thu, Mar 17, 2011 | 1:05 pm EDT | Mets | @ Red Sox | City of Palms Park |
| Fri, Mar 18, 2011 | 1:10 pm EDT | Braves | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Sat, Mar 19, 2011 | 1:05 pm EDT | Mets | @ Braves | Champion Stadium |
| Sat, Mar 19, 2011 | 1:10 pm EDT | Nationals | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Sun, Mar 20, 2011 | 1:05 pm EDT | Mets | @ Marlins | Roger Dean Stadium |
| Mon, Mar 21, 2011 | 1:10 pm EDT | Braves | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Tue, Mar 22, 2011 | 1:05 pm EDT | Mets | @ Tigers | Joker Marchant Stadium |
| Wed, Mar 23, 2011 | 1:05 pm EDT | Mets | @ Cardinals | Roger Dean Stadium |
| Thu, Mar 24, 2011 | 1:10 pm EDT | Cardinals | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Fri, Mar 25, 2011 | 1:05 pm EDT | Mets | @ Marlins | Roger Dean Stadium |
| Sat, Mar 26, 2011 | 1:10 pm EDT | Braves | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Sun, Mar 27, 2011 | 1:05 pm EDT | Mets | @ Cardinals | Roger Dean Stadium |
| Mon, Mar 28, 2011 | 1:10 pm EDT | Marlins | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |
| Tue, Mar 29, 2011 | 12:05 pm EDT | Mets | @ Nationals | Space Coast Stadium |
| Wed, Mar 30, 2011 | 12:10 pm EDT | Marlins | @ Mets | Digital Domain Park |