When the Mets — pitchers, catchers, Buck Showalter, everyone — descended on Clover Park for last year’s spring training, there weren’t any thoughts of a trade deadline selloff. Of a 75-87 record. Of their co-aces meeting in the ALCS on opposite teams.
That never happens in the early stages of spring training. Optimism always emanates from the clubhouse interviews and the surprise Grapefruit League performances. But when Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander were dealt mid-season, and when other pieces surrounding them on baseball’s record-setting payroll departed for the legitimate contenders, the Mets had barreled toward — and eventually slammed into — a reality check.
So when the Mets hold their first full-squad workout Monday in Port St. Lucie and the Yankees assemble for theirs in Tampa the following day, there will still be the jolts of positivity that might seem more delusional than realistic.
The stars will arrive. Pete Alonso. Juan Soto. Francisco Lindor. Aaron Judge. Aaron Boone already tossed around the word “hellbent” to describe the Yankees’ quest to snap the World Series drought, and the Mets certainly don’t plan to produce a campaign more disappointing than last year.
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