Quintana had been scheduled to start the afternoon road game in West Palm Beach, Fla., which was briefly delayed before being canceled altogether.

The left-handed Quintana is now expected to start Thursday against the Washington Nationals at the Mets’ Clover Park, with Luis Severino sliding back to pitch Friday on the road against the Miami Marlins.

Quintana, 35, allowed two runs in 1.2 innings in his first start of the spring last week on the road against Houston.

“Overall, he was OK,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after that outing. “It was one of those outings where he goes out there to work on certain pitches, with the two-seam being one of them. He threw a good pitch to [Jose] Abreu and struck him out.”

With ace Kodai Senga set to miss the start of the season with a shoulder strain, the veteran Quintana could be in line to start the Mets’ regular-season opener against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 28 at Citi Field.

Last spring, Quintana was diagnosed with a rib legion. He didn’t debut until late July and ultimately pitched to a 3-6 record and a 3.57 ERA over 13 starts.

SENGA MAKES PROGRESS

The Mets continue to express optimism about Senga’s shoulder, with Mendoza on Wednesday describing the early stages of the right-hander’s rehab as “so far, so good.”

“He’s strengthening that shoulder,” Mendoza said. “He’s continuing to say that he’s feeling good, progressing well with the limited activity he’s doing. A lot of shoulder exercises.”

Senga received a platelet-rich plasma injection in late February for the strain in the posterior capsule of his right shoulder. At the time, the Mets shut down Senga’s throwing for three weeks.

The Japanese-born Senga recorded a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 166.1 innings during his debut MLB season in 2023.

Mendoza has said the Mets don’t expect Senga’s injury to be a long-term issue.

“We’ll wait until he starts playing catch and all that, but as of right now, he’s moving in the right direction,” Mendoza said Wednesday.

RAIN DELAYS FUJINAMI

Wednesday was supposed to mark the first appearance this spring by reliever Shintaro Fujinami, who recently returned from his native Japan after dealing with a personal issue there.

The rain cancellation changes those plans.

The hard-throwing right-hander, who struggled with walks en route to a 7.18 ERA over 64 appearances with the Oakland A’s and Baltimore Orioles last season, joined the Mets in the offseason on a one-year, $3.35 million deal with incentives.

That’s according to ESPN’s Buster Olney, who mentioned the Mets’ interest in signing the crosstown superstar next offseason as a significant takeaway from his visit to Port St. Lucie this week.

“The most interesting thing heard at Mets’ camp yesterday — and it’s not surprising, given that the [Max] Scherzer contract (and others) will melt off their payroll next winter — is that they fully intend to take a run at Juan Soto next winter,” Olney wrote Wednesday on the social media site X.

Soto, whom the Yankees acquired in December in a franchise-altering trade with the San Diego Padres, is an impending free agent who is expected to pursue a historic contract when he hits the open market after the 2024 season.

Soto turned down a 15-year, $440 million extension offer from his original team, the Washington Nationals, in 2022, which prompted him to be traded that year to San Diego. Only 25 years old, Soto already boasts four top-10 finishes in NL MVP voting; three Silver Slugger Awards; three All-Star selections; a batting title; and a World Series championship.

The Mets and their deep-pocketed owner, Steve Cohen, largely avoided the top of this offseason’s free-agent class outside of a failed attempt to sign Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who joined the Los Angeles Dodgers on a record-setting $325 million contract over 12 years.

Next offseason figures to be different for the Mets, who must also decide whether to re-sign homegrown star first baseman Pete Alonso, who is set to be a free agent. Like Soto, the homer-hitting Alonso is represented by agent Scott Boras, who is notorious for getting his clients the most money possible.

“My whole focus this year is to be the best I can be, be as locked in mentally and physically as possible to help this team win,” Alonso said last month after arriving to spring training. “That’s my job. We’ll see what happens in the future. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

The Mets gave contracts worth $43.3 million annually to Scherzer before the 2022 season and co-ace Justin Verlander a year later, only to trade both during the team’s disappointing 2023 campaign. The Mets are still paying sizable sums in 2024 to Scherzer, now of the Texas Rangers, and Verlander, who is now with the Houston Astros.

Scherzer’s contract ends after the 2024 season, while Verlander’s $35 million option for 2025 would vest if he pitches 140 innings this year. The Mets would owe Verlander, who is set to begin the season on the injured list with a shoulder issue, $17.5 million in 2025 should that option vest.

A Mets push for Soto could create a bidding war between the New York clubs, as the Yankees are also expected to try to re-sign the slugger after trading five players, including prized pitchers Michael King and Drew Thorpe, to acquire him and fellow outfielder Trent Grisham.

As Olney noted Wednesday, not every team can afford Soto, who crushed a career-high 35 home runs last season.

“You have a handful of tanking teams that would never consider taking on his salary,” Olney wrote on X.

Soto is off to a red-hot start in spring training, going 6-for-9 with five extra base hits, including three home runs, and seven RBI through his first four games. Soto, whose .421 career on-base percentage ranks 19th in MLB history, is batting second in the Yankees order, right in front of Aaron Judge.

“We understand that he’s a free agent at the end of this term,” the general manager said. “We understand that it’s a possible short-term situation.”

Soto, a Scott Boras client expecting a massive payday, is all but guaranteed to test the open market after the 2024 campaign comes to an end. He won’t be the only Yankee to do so.

The team’s other expected free agents include Gleyber Torres, Alex Verdugo, Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, Jonathan Loáisiga and Caleb Ferguson. The Yankees’ hope is that those players will find some inspiration in their impending free agency as the club seeks a return to the playoffs.

“I think anytime a guy is in a free agent or walk year, that’s one of those additional carrots that exist, hopefully, for a guy to make sure, man, I’ve got to do everything possible to put myself in position to be the best I could possibly be,” Aaron Boone, entering the last guaranteed year of his own contract, said at the start of spring training. “Yeah, I think it can be a motivator. I think sometimes it can be a pressure, too, that probably goes the other way. It’s how you handle it. Hopefully it is another one of those things that drives you in the right way to be uber prepared for what’s ahead.”

Boone has used that word — “carrot” — when talking about some of the individuals above, including Verdugo and Torres.

A newcomer like Soto, Verdugo fell short of expectations on and off the field in Boston, his last stop. However, Boone believes there is more in the outfielder’s bat, which has produced roughly league average results over the last three seasons.

“When he goes to swing at a pitch, he can lay the barrel of the bat on the ball,” the manager said. “That’s always kind of been a calling card of his going back to when he was a prospect with the Dodgers. But I also think there’s some thump in there. There’s probably more to tap into. I don’t want him to go chase that necessarily. I want him to just be a good hitter in what we hope’s a really good lineup, but I do feel like there’s a lot more in there.”

Because of his free agency and a few young outfielders, including Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones, Verdugo may not stay in the Bronx beyond this season. However, the lefty swinger could entice other teams if he takes advantage of Yankee Stadium’s short porch and stays on his best behavior.

While Torres wants to remain, that scenario seems unlikely, as the second baseman has been the subject of trade rumors for years and has not heard from the Yankees about a possible extension.

However, Torres is hoping that a strong season leads to contract talks this winter.

“I don’t want to leave here. I feel at home right now,” Torres recently said. “I want to be a Yankee for life.”

Torres added that he didn’t blame the Yankees for not approaching him with a deal, as he noted that extensions for Luis Severino and Aaron Hicks didn’t work out for the team.

Hal Steinbrenner also mentioned his preference to avoid extensions. However, the owner wouldn’t say no to one for Soto, so long as it didn’t cause a distraction.

“I’m not big on extensions, as you know,” Steinbrenner said. “We’ve rarely done them. My concern dealing with that during the season is that it’s a distraction — at least it very well could be a distraction. Having said that — talking about Soto — if both sides feel very strongly about it and Cash feels very strongly about it, then that’s something I would consider depending on how the season’s going. We just can’t have it be a distraction.”

Soto, meanwhile, doesn’t want to look too far ahead, though questions about his future will persist.

“I have a lot of trust in [Boras] and what he’s going to do,” Soto said. “I trust him so much that I just forget about that and I just come here to play baseball.”

While no doors are being slammed shut, the Yankees would have to blow Soto and Boras away with an offer to land a signature prior to free agency. Even that may not be enough to stop the slugger from testing the open market.

Getting an extension signed by someone like Holmes, who has proven capable of closing in New York, may be more doable.

While the righty said that he hasn’t thought about his future when asked about it on Tuesday, Holmes is another impending free agent who enjoys playing for the Yankees and is open to a long-term deal.

However, there have not been any extension talks between the two sides, and the Yankees have demonstrated a knack for finding relief diamonds in the rough. Holmes is an example of one, and the Yankees could use more cost-efficient approaches to replace him and some of their other bullpen pieces heading for free agency.

The same move was made for fellow outfielder Brandon Lockridge and infielders Jeter Downs and Caleb Durbin. While these transactions are merely procedural — none of the four were expected to make the Yankees’ Opening Day roster — the announcement followed a stellar run for Jones.

While the 2022 first-round pick can still appear in spring training games, his time in big league camp ended with a .467/.556/1.289 slash line, six runs, seven hits, one home run and four RBI over 15 at-bats and eight games. The one home run came in Jones’ first at-bat of the spring and traveled a whopping 470 feet.

Spencer Jones hits one 470 feet!

The @Yankees No. 2 prospect hit a ball where very few land. #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/QQts34NofI

— MLB (@MLB) February 24, 2024

While the towering dinger grabbed attention, Jones also never swung and missed prior to the reassignment. That’s impressive on its own, but even more so when considering the 22-year-old struck out 155 times last year.

Jones, who doubled in Tuesday’s 5-4 loss to the Mets, spent the offseason tweaking his bat path and shortening his left-handed swing.

“Just doing some different patterns with the baseball bat,” Jones recently said. “Got some work in this offseason with the hitting coach who helped me out a lot. It was just putting things in context for me and phrasing them in ways I hadn’t really thought of before. It’s been beneficial to me so far, and I’m excited to see what progress we can make during the season.”

So far, the changes have paid off.

Jones will get a chance to implement them in real games at Double-A, where he is expected to begin the regular season. That’s according to Brian Cashman, who noted that Jones only played in 17 games for Somerset last year.

While Jones still has a few levels to conquer, reaching the majors this season is not impossible.

Jasson Domínguez, for example, enjoyed a strong spring before playing at Double-A and Triple-A last year. He parlayed that into a sensational cup of coffee in the majors last September. The Yankees’ disastrous season surely influenced The Martian’s expedited timeline, but he also showed an ability to hit major league pitching as a 20-year-old before tearing his UCL.

Jones noticed Domínguez’s fast-track, but he’s not trying to mimic his fellow center fielder’s path in 2024.

“Jasson’s an incredible player,” Jones said. “Everybody in the world is starting to figure that out now. But he had a really, really strong year last year.

“My plan is just to continue developing as I have been. Whatever happens this season happens.”

OUTFIELD ALIGNMENTS

During an in-game interview with ESPN on Tuesday, Aaron Boone said that he’s leaning toward keeping Juan Soto in right field, Aaron Judge in center and Alex Verdugo in left.

It would have made sense for Soto, a worse defender, and Verdugo to switch between corner spots depending on the ballpark. Houston and Boston, for example, have less ground to cover in left field. Meanwhile, right field is the easier position at Yankee Stadium.

Instead, it sounds like Boone may just keep everyone in place, though Trent Grisham is sure to get plenty of time in center with Judge expected to DH a bit more often. The Yankees are also hoping that a reshaped Giancarlo Stanton can be an occasional option in the corners.

AVOIDING VERLANDER

The Yankees won’t have to worry about Justin Verlander when they open their season in Houston.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that the future Hall of Famer will begin the season on the injured list, according to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. Verlander is behind in his build-up after a shoulder issue delayed the start of his spring.

The hulking right-hander hurled three hitless innings and struck out six Tuesday against a Yankees lineup missing many of its regulars, marking Megill’s latest strong outing of spring training.

Megill issued a pair of walks to shortstop Anthony Volpe and plunked second baseman Oswald Peraza but was otherwise dominant, at one point striking out four Yankees in a row during his scoreless start at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie.

The 6-7 Megill, 28, now boasts a 1.13 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 8.0 innings over three appearances this spring. He threw 29 of his 49 pitches for strikes Tuesday, with his fastball regularly hitting 94 miles per hour and sometimes reaching 95.

Megill is fighting to start the season in a Mets rotation that will begin the year without ace Kodai Senga, who is dealing with a strain in the posterior capsule of his right shoulder. The Japanese-born Senga, who posted a 2.98 ERA during an All-Star debut season last year, received a platelet-rich plasma injection in late February, and the Mets shut down his throwing for three weeks.

Originally a 2018 eighth-round pick, Megill last season made 25 starts for a Mets team that dealt with an early injury to Justin Verlander and later traded Verlander to Houston and co-ace Max Scherzer to Texas before the Aug. 1 deadline.

A three-year MLB veteran, Megill last season pitched to a pedestrian 4.70 ERA – right in line with his career mark of 4.72 – but is working this spring with new pitches including a sweeper and a cutter.

“It seems like this offseason went terrific and my pitch arsenal is completely different,” Megill told the Daily News last month. “My slider is spinning pretty true. I used to throw like a gyro-slider and now it’s spinning like a fastball. The sweeper is good. It’s tight and it’s big.”

Without Senga, the Mets’ rotation features a vacancy behind Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Adrian Hauser. Other candidates to fill that fifth slot include Jose Butto, Joey Lucchesi and David Peterson, who each started games for the Mets last season.

“When we’re talking about a shoulder, it’s scary, but after going through and doing all the imaging and all of that, we feel a lot better [about Senga],” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said on ESPN’s broadcast of Tuesday’s game. “Kodai’s feeling a lot better. We don’t think that is going to be a long-term injury. We are expecting Kodai to pitch a lot of games for us.”

Most of the Yankees’ starters did not travel to Port St. Lucie for Tuesday’s spring training edition of the Subway Series, though catcher Austin Wells, center fielder Trent Grisham and Oswaldo Cabrera all faced Megill, along with Volpe and Peraza.

The Mets won, 5-4, with Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor both hitting doubles, and Lindor, Starling Marte and Brett Baty each recording an RBI.

Yankees top prospect Spencer Jones entered in the fifth inning and went 1-for-2 with a double, improving his batting average to .467 and his OPS to 1.289 in 15 spring at-bats. Mets third baseman Rylan Bannon robbed Jones of a would-be game-tying hit in the ninth inning with a diving stop on a ground ball that he turned into a force out. The Yankees re-assigned Jones to minor-league camp after the game.

Diaz ended the encouraging outing by striking out fast-rising Mets prospect Jett Williams on a backfield at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, where the right-handed reliever’s trumpet-heavy entrance song “Narco” blared.

The 1-2-3 frame marked Diaz’s first time facing hitters in a game setting since he suffered the catastrophic knee injury nearly a year ago during the World Baseball Classic.

“I just feel like I need competition. I’m ready,” Diaz said afterward, according to SNY. “I’m throwing my pitches like I want to. I feel 100 percent ready, so I need games, I told them. …Today was really good.”

Diaz threw 14 pitches, with his fastball ranging from 96 to 98 miles per hour, according to Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.

“He came out good, so all positive there,” Mendoza said on the ESPN broadcast of Tuesday’s game between the Mets and Yankees.

Diaz, 29, continues to make progress in his rigorous rehab, having previously thrown live batting practice multiple times this spring, including to top bats Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo on Feb. 23.

Diaz plans to return to Mets after appearing in another minor-league game Friday.

A two-time All-Star, Diaz pitched to a 1.31 ERA, 32 saves and 118 strikeouts in 62.0 innings during a dominant 2022 campaign, which he then parlayed into a five-year, $102 million contract that remains the biggest ever for a reliever in terms of total value.

Diaz didn’t pitch in 2023 after injuring his right knee as he celebrated a Puerto Rico victory in the WBC last March 16.

A healthy Diaz would bolster a Mets bullpen that posted a 4.45 ERA without him last season.

“It’s game time,” Diaz said Tuesday. “After my last live [BP] I told them I wanted to [raise] my level of competition, so I wanted to feel like I was in a real game. I know that was an intraquad game, but I knew I had to make pitches and field my position if they hit it by me or cover first. So, I told them I was ready to be in the games.”

MCNEIL MAKES PROGRESS

Tuesday also brought a positive injury update for Jeff McNeil, whose ailing arm is “feeling a lot better,” Mendoza said.

The Mets recently shut down the utility man with left biceps soreness.

“The downtime the past couple of days helped,” Mendoza told reporters. “We’re going to give it another couple of days before we put him on a hitting progression.”

McNeil was scheduled to go through a workout and participate in defensive drills Tuesday and could play defense in a minor-league game Wednesday.

The 31-year-old won the National League batting title with a .326 average in 2022. That average dipped to .270 during an injury-plagued 2023 season that ended a few days early due to a partially torn UCL in McNeil’s left elbow.

While the reliever has thrown some bullpen sessions since spring training began, Aaron Boone revealed Monday that Kahnle is building up slowly after shoulder inflammation ended his 2023 season a few weeks early. The righty is not currently injured, but he hasn’t thrown to live hitters yet.

Kahnle may not be ready for exhibition action until later this month, which means there’s a chance the set-up man won’t be on the active roster when the Yankees start their season in Houston on March 28.

“I think he’ll be ready [for Opening Day],” Boone said, per NJ.com’s Max Goodman, “but it’s a matter of do we want him to have more games under his belt. That’s what we have to decide.”

Kahnle, who returned to the Yankees via free agency two offseasons ago, also missed the start of last season. Bicep tendinitis and the shoulder inflammation limited him to 42 games, though he recorded a 2.66 ERA and 48 strikeouts over 40.2 innings.

The Yankees were already expected to have an opening in their bullpen with Scott Effross starting the year on the injured list due to back and Tommy John surgeries. So far, Nick Burdi has emerged as a popular choice to fill that spot, as the non-roster invitee has impressed with a 100-mph fastball, sweeper and changeup from a deceptive arm angle.

Kahnle’s delayed timeline may open a second spot in the pen. That could be good news for some relievers at the back of the Yankees’ 40-man roster, or some other non-roster invitees.

The Yankees have repeatedly talked up the latter group, which also includes Dennis Santana, Duane Underwood Jr., Yerry De Los Santos and Anthony Misiewicz, among others.

“I do feel like, without question, this is our best group of non-roster pitchers we’ve had in a camp,” Boone recently said, echoing sentiments that pitching coach Matt Blake has also shared.

While Santana has not received as much public attention as Burdi, Boone has singled out the righty when discussing under-the-radar players in camp. The former Met has 143 games of MLB experience.

As for pitchers on the 40-man roster, Ron Marinaccio, Cody Morris, Cody Poteet, Clayton Andrews and Nick Ramirez are among those who could benefit from an extra relief opening. Boone specifically mentioned Andrews, De Los Santos and Santana while discussing some bullpen options during ESPN’s broadcast of Tuesday’s spring game against the Mets. Those three were on Tuesday’s travel roster, so don’t think of that as the full list of candidates.

As of now, Clay Holmes, Ian Hamilton, Jonathan Loáisiga, Victor González, Caleb Ferguson and Luke Weaver are expected to be in the Yankees’ bullpen.

“There was a time at the end of the season that I felt really good about where I was at, and I wanted to try to give it one more go,” Donaldson told The Mayor’s Office. “But being home with the family, getting married; today’s a sad but also happy day for me where I am going to announce my retirement from the game.”

Donaldson said that he had opportunities to keep playing, but the third baseman is done after 13 major league seasons with the Athletics, Blue Jays, Cleveland, Braves, Twins, Yankees and Brewers. That career included three All-Star nods, two Silver Sluggers and the 2015 American League MVP Award.

While Donaldson enjoyed a decorated career, Yankees fans will remember him as a major mistake.

He, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt were acquired from the Twins in exchange for Gary Sánchez and Gio Urshela in March 2022. What followed were two injury-riddled, unproductive seasons from Donaldson.

Although he could still pick it at the hot corner when healthy, the 38-year-old hit .207/.293/.385 with 25 homers, 77 RBI and a 91 OPS+ over 165 games and 666 plate appearances for the Yankees.

“The last two years were tough for me for the fact that I didn’t go out there and play well, like up to my standard,” said Donaldson, who added that he was surprised when the Yankees traded for him. “It wasn’t for a lack of not trying. I was in there working.

“I just wished I could have played better while my time was there. I felt like I was capable of doing it. I just didn’t go do it.”

Donaldson will go down as one of the worst acquisitions of Brian Cashman’s career. On top of the poor production, he made a $21.75 million salary in each of his two seasons with the Yankees and caused a clubhouse distraction in 2022 when he called ex-White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, who is Black, “Jackie.”

Anderson’s peers described the comment, a reference to Jackie Robinson, as racist, and members of the Yankees, including Aaron Judge, said Donaldson was in the wrong. Donaldson received a one-game suspension and a fine from Major League Baseball. Donaldson appealed the ban and lost, though his fine was reduced.

While that incident resulted in some in-house criticism, Donaldson said that his teammates in New York were “awesome.” He finished the 2023 season with the Brewers after the Yankees released him in late August following a high-grade calf strain.

Donaldson ended his career with a .261/.358/.489 slash line, 1,310 hits, 279 home runs and 816 RBI.

The right-handed hurler on Monday signed a three-year extension worth a reported $126 million to remain with the Philadelphia Phillies through 2027, demonstrating his standing as one of MLB’s premier pitchers.

That $42 million annual salary represents the fourth-largest in league history – all for a player the Mets let leave in free agency four years ago, and go to a division rival, no less.

“We think Zack is as good as anybody in baseball right now,” Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, said Monday at a news conference announcing the extension.

“I don’t think I could think of another individual I’d rather have take the ball in a big game.”

Wheeler, 33, boasts a 43-25 record, a 3.06 ERA and 675 strikeouts in 629.1 innings since joining the Phillies before the 2020 season, establishing himself as a dependable workhorse who overcame the injuries that plagued his early years.

He’s been even better in the postseason, pitching to a 2.42 ERA during Philadelphia’s runs to the World Series in 2022 and the NLCS last year.

Originally taken sixth overall by the San Francisco Giants in 2009, Wheeler went to the Mets two years later in a trade for Carlos Beltran. By the time he made his MLB debut in 2013, the hard-throwing Wheeler had emerged as one of baseball’s top prospects, inviting fantasies of an overpowering Mets rotation that, by 2015, also featured Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard.

That rotation crashed, however, as arm injuries ailed all five pitchers.

Wheeler underwent Tommy John surgery before the 2015 season to repair an elbow tear, rendering him inactive for the Mets’ run to the World Series that year. Subsequent setbacks cost Wheeler the 2016 season, too, threatening his future as a frontline MLB starter.

Arm issues persisted for Wheeler in 2017, who struggled to a 5.21 ERA over 17 starts during his first season in three years.

In 2018, Wheeler finally began to resemble the pitcher who arrived with so much hype.

Wheeler posted a 3.31 ERA over 182.1 innings in 29 starts, marking his best season in the majors. He followed that up in 2019 with a 3.96 ERA over a career-high 195.1 innings in 31 starts and entered free agency after back-to-back durable seasons.

Wheeler turned those encouraging campaigns into a five-year, $118 million contract with the Phillies, who paired him with All-Star Aaron Nola atop their rotation.

Before he signed with Philadelphia, Wheeler allegedly checked in with then-Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, and said he heard “crickets.”

“That’s how they roll,” Wheeler said at the time.

In reference to Wheeler’s contract, Van Wagenen suggested the pitcher was able to “parlay two good half-seasons over the last five into $118 million.”

The deal paid off handsomely for Philadelphia, as Wheeler finished within the top 12 of National League Cy Young Award voting three times from 2020-23, including as the runner-up in 2021 and in sixth place last year. His 213.1 innings in 2021 led the NL.

“I just try to take the ball every time out and just be consistent and be consistently good,” Wheeler said Monday. “I’ve got to give credit to the training staff, keeping me out on the field, and working with Caleb [Cotham], our pitching coach. He’s helped me out a ton, off-speed wise, and just taking me to that next level.”

Wheeler’s extension kicks in for the 2025 season. The Mets handed out two of the three deals with larger annual salaries to since-traded aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, whose contracts both average $43.3 million per year.

Ironically, as Wheeler thrives, the Mets’ current staff is dealing with a key injury to Kodai Senga, who is out indefinitely with a shoulder strain.

“We know pitching is a risk at any age,” Dombrowski said Monday. “We think [Wheeler] knows himself well, works well with the training staff, and we think he can continue to last and pitch at this type of level.”

If that’s the case, the Mets will be forced to watch Wheeler dominate for an NL East opponent for at least four more seasons.

On Sunday, the team optioned Luis Gil and Yoendrys Gómez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and reassigned Chase Hampton, Art Warren, Josh Breaux, Ben Rice and Joey Gerber to minor league camp. The team also outrighted Jordan Groshans off the major league roster and onto the Triple-A squad.

Still, the Yankees have way more than 26 players in camp with only a few roster spots up for grabs, as the team has mostly stayed healthy so far.

Time will tell if that can continue after injuries ravaged the club last year. For now, let’s take a second try at predicting the Opening Day roster.

5 Starting Pitchers: Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman, Nestor Cortes, Clarke Schmidt

There are no surprises here, as all of the Yankees’ starters have avoided injury thus far. That’s especially notable for Rodón, who came into camp in great shape, and Cortes, who believes his shoulder woes are behind him.

Even though some would love to see the Yankees make a run at Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery, such deals remain unlikely with the projected rotation in good health. Even then, the Yankees have spoken highly of their depth starters, including pitching prospect Will Warren and free agent flyer Cody Poteet.

8 Relievers: Clay Holmes, Jonathan Loáisiga, Ian Hamilton, Tommy Kahnle, Caleb Ferguson, Victor González, Luke Weaver, Nick Burdi

Our first roster prediction had Ron Marinaccio filling the void left by Scott Effross, who will start the season on the injured list. That was before a group of non-roster relievers opened some eyes and popped some mitts in camp.

No one has done that more than Nick Burdi, an oft-injured righty who pairs a 100-mph fastball with a sweeper and a changeup from a low arm slot. That deadly combo has certainly impressed the Yankees this spring.

Another bullpen spot could open up if Kahnle doesn’t start the season on time. On Monday, Aaron Boone told reporters that the reliever is a bit behind schedule. Kahnle has been throwing bullpens but is building up slowly after shoulder trouble plagued him at the end of last season. That could benefit Marinaccio or Dennis Santana, another NRI.

Elsewhere in the bullpen, Weaver and Hamilton – last year’s NRI surprise – look like candidates for Michael King’s old multi-inning role. Loáisiga and Ferguson could also provide length.

2 Catchers: Jose Trevino, Austin Wells

Trevino and Wells entered camp as the Yankees’ expected catchers. That remains the case.

Trevino has yet to play in a game, however, due to a calf strain. While the Yankees expect him to be ready for Opening Day, that’s something to keep an eye on. Either way, Wells probably won’t start that first game in Houston with Cole on the mound. If Trevino has to open the season on the IL, Ben Rortvedt would likely get that start after catching the closing stretch of Cole’s Cy Young campaign last year.

If Trevino does progress as expected, Rortvedt could become the odd man out. He’s out of minor league options.

5 Infielders: Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres, DJ LeMahieu, Anthony Volpe, Jorbit Vivas

The first four names on this list are a given. The last is far from it.

Truth be told, Vivas is, at best, a dark horse to make the roster. The second baseman could use more seasoning at Triple-A and has limited experience at shortstop and third. However, there have been several indicators that the Yankees would like an upgrade over Oswald Peraza on their bench.

While he is their best infield defender, Peraza hasn’t shown he can hit in the majors. He could benefit from everyday playing time at Triple-A. Vivas, meanwhile, has intrigued Boone with his bat. He’s a more exciting bench option than NRIs Kevin Smith, Jeter Downs and Josh VanMeter.

That said, there’s still time for the Yankees to add an experienced, versatile infielder for that bench spot, though free agent options are limited at this point. Ex-Yankee Donovan Solano is one possibility.

5 Outfielders: Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, Giancarlo Stanton, Trent Grisham

Pending good health, the Yankees’ outfield should produce some serious offense. Soto is off to a sensational start this spring, settling in nicely to his new life batting in front of Judge. Stanton, meanwhile, is hoping that a revamped body and some swing adjustments will help him bounce back from a dreadful 2023 while avoiding the IL. He’s also expected to play some outfield, but he will spend most of his time at designated hitter.

Verdugo seems to be fitting in nicely thus far, and he can be a leadoff option for Boone when LeMahieu needs a break. Grisham, meanwhile, brings elite defense and some pop to the bench.

The Yankees may have to make some tough decisions in their outfield when Jasson Domínguez returns this summer, but this group looks set for now.

1 Utilityman: Oswaldo Cabrera

Like Peraza, Cabrera’s spot on the bench is far from guaranteed. However, Cabrera’s versatility is not limited to the infield, which means he’s still the frontrunner for the super-utility job vacated by Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

Cabrera needs to start swinging the bat better, though, as he entered Monday with an .083 average over five games.