NewYork.Mets.com

By Kevin Czerwinski / MLB.com

Tyler Yates went 3-1 with a 4.00 ERA during Spring Training. (James A. Finley/AP)

Jae Weong Seo was inconsolable.

Grant Roberts was accepting while it was difficult to say just how Scott Erickson was feeling.

A gamut of emotions was certainly on display in the home clubhouse Friday afternoon as the Mets ended a six-week search, finally spelling out the back end of their rotation. Yates and Erickson were the big winners, earning the fourth and fifth spots, respectively. Seo was the big loser, getting a ticket back to Triple-A Norfolk while Roberts falls somewhere in between, returning to his familiar spot in the bullpen.

While the rotation is set, there remains a lingering question about the bullpen. Should Jose Reyes start the season on the disabled list, either Ricky Bottalico or Orber Moreno would likely fill his spot on the roster. Should Reyes start the season with the club, it's likely that Moreno will be in Norfolk as well with Bottalico possibly looking for employment elsewhere.

That decision will come down on Saturday. Rosters have to be set by midnight, but Reyes is expected to play in a minor league game earlier in the day, testing his hamstring and giving management a truer indication of where he is in the healing process.

"It was a tough decision but in the end we felt like we made the right decisions," general manager Jim Duquette said of the rotation. "Yates has a tremendous upside. We feel like he's on the rise and he has improved from last year to this year. It's nice to have a guy that throws that hard in the rotation.

"And this is just a minor setback in Jae Seo's career. He can still be a big part of the club and help the team long term. He will admit that he didn't pitch to his capability. Sometimes it happens with young players."

Yates, who was beaming as he came of out manager Art Howe's office after receiving the news, said he was "stoked". He hits the mid-90s on the gun and was 3-0 with a 0.64 ERA with seven strikeouts in 14 innings this spring. Yates takes Seo's spot after the South Korea native went 0-2 with a 7.48 ERA, allowing 30 hits in 21 2/3 innings.

The hard-throwing Hawaiian will throw three innings on Sunday against the Expos and make his Major League debut Friday night against Montreal at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.

"This is everything I've worked for," said Yates, who underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2002. "I have to work harder now to stay there and be successful. I came in here trying for the No. 5 spot and now I'm the No. 4 guy. It's unbelievable. It's a dream come true."

Erickson, meanwhile, was blasé when approached by reporters after getting the news. Like Yates, he is coming back from surgery. He had a torn labrum repaired last March but demonstrated this spring that his health isn't an issue. Erickson's velocity has also been at an acceptable level [high 80s] and he provides a veteran presence at the back end of the rotation. He too will pitch on Sunday and make his National League debut Saturday against the Expos.

A non-roster invitee, Erickson can make as much as $1.2 million this year if he reaches all the incentives in his contract.

"It's a good feeling," said Erickson, who was 0-2 with a 3.75 ERA in 12 "A" game innings. "I'm very happy. It was a long road back. But this is just the start. I wasn't really sure what was going to happen because they had a lot of guys to look at. I already knew I could pitch. I just wanted to prove I was healthy.

"I think the game I had against Atlanta [last Saturday] was a big step forward. Now that I feel good, I have to try and keep moving forward. It's very satisfying. It's the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. You're not fully back until you win a game."

Roberts, meanwhile, was disappointed but he was also in a more unenviable spot than his competition. He was out of options and is already a proven reliever. While the Mets expressed concern over his ability to go deep into a game, neither Duquette nor manager Art Howe would rule Roberts completely out of the rotation picture in the future.

"I was kind of a long shot from the beginning," said Roberts, who was 1-1 with a 5.55 ERA in 24 1/3 innings. "I proved I was healthy and that I can handle more of a load this year. This doesn't mean I'll always be in the pen. Possibly down the road I can try again but I have to improve on a few things. It was an opportunity and it didn't happen. That's not to say it won't ever happen again."

As for Seo, he left the clubhouse after declining to speak with the media. He was visibly upset and issued a statement through his interpreter Daniel Kim.

"Jae understood everything," Kim said. "He's a little disappointed but he understands everything he has to do when he gets to Triple-A. We'll see what happens from there. There is no question in his mind what kind of pitcher he is.

"Going into camp he thought he was going to be the No. 4 starter and that was an idea shared by many of us. The last couple of days he's heard about different scenarios. At the same time, when it actually happened, he was a little surprised."

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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