The New York Mets will begin their 2012 Spring Training when pitchers and catchers report on Tuesday, Feb. 21. The first pitchers and catchers workout in Port St. Lucie, Fla. will be Wednesday, Feb. 22. Mets position players report Feb. 26, with the first full-squad workout set for Feb. 27.
The Mets finished the 2011 season 77-85, 25 games out of first place in the National League East. The offseason does not appear to give much optimism. The team lost star shortstop Jose Reyes to free agency, and onwership's financial distress made it virtually impossible for the Mets to aggressivly try to replenish the roster.
Still, general manager Sandy Alderson is hopeful that the team will improve in 2012.
"I think we'll have a far more interesting team to watch than many people have felt.
"I look at it from this point of view. I don't think anybody on our team, with the exception maybe of Jose Reyes, who's no longer with us, had a career year," Alderson said. "I don't think there's even one guy on our team, even the big-money guys that doesn't have something to prove. . . . I think these guys will play hard, and we can call it ‘overachieve,' but I think the team is better than people are giving it credit for."
Mets fans can only hope Alderson is right.