Cohen's presence energizes Mets at camp

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- The man who changed the course of Mets history this offseason arrived on-site early Saturday morning, making his rounds at camp. Steve Cohen met for a while with team president Sandy Alderson, then walked with him to the back fields, where the pair spent close to two hours watching traditional batting practice and live BP.

Dressed in a blue-and-white striped Mets polo shirt, Cohen spent some time in the “crow’s nest,” an elevated perch that allows its denizens to view all four Clover Park back fields. He eventually moved closer to one field in particular, where Taijuan Walker was throwing live BP. As Cohen poked around the area where a Mets staffer was busy gathering data from Walker’s session, Francisco Lindor -- another of Cohen’s premium offseason acquisitions -- took Walker deep.

“He was going to every other field just to see the guys doing fundamentals and then taking BP,” Mets manager Luis Rojas said. “It’s great to have him around. … I’m looking forward to his presence more and more in camp.”

Rojas credited Cohen for increasing the energy around the complex, given both his enthusiasm for baseball and the changes he has made to the roster. Earlier Saturday, Rojas said, he engaged in a conversation with Cohen, who picked his brain about various aspects of the Mets’ spring operations.

Roaming around the back fields, Cohen also stopped to greet various players including Lindor and Michael Conforto, who could negotiate extensions in the coming weeks.

“It’s exciting,” pitcher Jacob deGrom said when asked about Cohen. “Looking around at the names in the locker room, it’s very exciting. And the amount of depth we have and the players we added, I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s gonna be really fun, and hopefully we’ll go out there and win a World Series.”

Teenage dream
More than eight months after the Mets selected him in the first round of the Draft, Pete Crow-Armstrong has yet to play a professional game. If he was anxious to get into one after signing last summer in the midst of a pandemic, he is even more eager now due to the passage of time.

Spring Training, at least, is giving him a taste. Due to the pandemic, the Mets invited Crow-Armstrong and other top prospects to big league camp to receive some extra reps and learn from veterans. It’s something the team never would have done for the 18-year-old Crow-Armstrong in a normal year, given his age and lack of experience. As such, it came as a significant surprise to Crow-Armstrong when farm director Kevin Howard made the call last month.

Crow-Armstrong is intent on making the most of the opportunity. In the early days of camp, he has spent time picking the brains of veteran outfielders Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora Jr., as well as first-base coach and outfield instructor Tony Tarasco.

“It’s been great so far,” Crow-Armstrong said. “Obviously an unexpected turn of events a year ago, and I don’t know if I pictured myself here. I’m super fortunate that I am.”

Healthy and strong
Pitcher Carlos Carrasco is among those at camp who received the COVID-19 vaccine before arriving. Carrasco said he was able to receive the vaccine due to his previous heart condition and leukemia case. Because of Carrasco’s history, his former doctor in Cleveland also recommended he undergo additional medical screening prior to his arrival in Port St. Lucie, which he why he did not participate in the first four days of full-squad workouts.

“Last year, I only got to pitch [68] innings because of the pandemic,” Carrasco said. “The year before, we found out about the cancer. But I’m ready. I prepare my body. I prepare my arm, all that kind of stuff to get back to 180 to 200 innings.”

Center of attention
Kevin Pillar, who profiles as the Mets’ fourth outfielder behind Dominic Smith, Brandon Nimmo and Conforto, said he understands the situation but plans to proceed as if he’s an everyday player. As Pillar enters his ninth big league season at age 32, he said he is focused less on personal accolades and more on winning.

“To come to a team that’s ready to win right now, it’s something that greatly excited me,” said Pillar, who recently signed a one-year contract with a player option for 2022.

Pitching plans
The Mets have named their starting pitchers for their first two Grapefruit League games. Harol Gonzalez will start the spring opener Monday at 1:05 p.m. ET against the Marlins in Jupiter, Fla., followed by Jordan Yamamoto in New York’s home opener Tuesday at 1:10 p.m. against the Astros at Clover Park. The Mets plan to roll their more prominent names out later in the spring.