In response to this ESPN.com story claiming that the Mets could be fined for sending too few "regulars" to Lakeland yesterday, general manager Omar Minaya claimed minutes ago that his starters are too banged up to send more.
Minaya cited the offseason knee surgeries to Carlos Beltran and Luis Castillo, as well as Carlos Delgado's return from a fractured bone in his hand. Minaya also said he spoke to MLB officials this morning and they were OK with the Mets travel roster. The team had only one (presumed) starter on yesterday's travel squad -- Ryan Church -- but Ramon Castro, Ruben Gotay and Marlon Anderson could also be considered regulars. They all played for the Mets last season in some capacity, so that only begs the question: Just what is a regular?
Nobody is able to provide an exact definition, which is why this problem surfaces at least once every spring training. The minimum to send on a trip is normally four.
"We spoke to them and they were perfectly understanding of the situation," Minaya said.