NewYork.Mets.com

By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com

Jae Weong Seo is 0-2 with a 7.48 ERA through 21 2/3 innings this spring. (James A. Finley/AP)

After all, Jae Weong Seo made a splash last season as a rookie, winning nine games and posting a 3.82 ERA. His command was impeccable, and he looked very much like the top prospect the Mets considered him to be in the late 1990s.

It turns out, however, that Wilpon's words may have been prophetic. Though the dog fight for the fifth spot in New York's rotation has been everything everyone expected it to be, the fourth spot in the rotation -- Seo's spot -- suddenly has become a question mark.

The South Korean native is 0-2 with a 7.48 ERA through 21 2/3 innings after getting hit hard Tuesday by the Indians in Winter Haven. Seo allowed five earned runs on eight hits -- including two homers -- during a 4 1/3-inning stint. He has allowed 30 hits (five homers) overall this spring with his trademark command coming under fire. Seo allowed 18 homers in 188 1/3 innings last year.

Manager Art Howe has been quick to point out this spring that Seo struggled last spring only to turn it on when the regular season began. But with one start remaining -- Seo is scheduled to go Sunday against Montreal -- before the team heads for Atlanta, concern may be creeping in. The skipper gave the indication after Tuesday's game that Seo's spot on the roster may not be secure and that his situation may be open for re-evaluation.

Seo, however, said no one on the Mets' staff has given him any indication that he won't be part of rotation. Though distraught over his effort against the Tribe, Seo's long-term outlook remained positive.

"I have felt for the duration of camp that I would be part of the rotation," he said. "I have a responsibility to the team to pitch well even though at certain points this spring I have not. I'm just going to get ready for my next start and concentrate on preparation for the season. I can't sit and worry about roster moves and decisions made by other people."

Seo said he has dealt with pitching coach Rick Peterson exclusively this spring and that the two have been dealing with the command issue for a while.

If Seo is sent down to Triple-A Norfolk or bumped from the rotation, the Mets have several options. The race for the fifth starter's spot has several worthy candidates who wouldn't normally have had a shot at the rotation.

Grant Roberts, Tyler Yates, Scott Erickson and James Baldwin have made enough of an impression that one of them could easily be slotted into the fourth spot if necessary.

Roberts, who will make his final start of the spring on Wednesday, has gained some steam and appears to be the lead candidate for the fifth spot but has enough of an arm to move up in the rotation. He is 1-0 with a 3.72 ERA in 19 1/3 innings.

Yates is 3-0 with a 0.64 ERA in 14 innings, and Erickson is 0-2 with a 3.75 over 12 innings. Yates has been dominant this spring while Erickson has only recently begun to show signs of returning to his old form. There are several teams interested in signing Erickson, most notably San Francisco, but the Mets would likely retain him if they had two spots open in the rotation.

Baldwin also deserves consideration. He is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA over 12 innings.

Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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