The New York Mets approached Friday’s non-tender deadline without any major upheaval, as they removed Grant Hartwig, Alex Young, and Alex Ramirez from their 40-man roster, leaving nine spots available. They’re now looking to fill those with two hitters, three starting pitchers, and four bullpen arms.
Although they navigated this offseason checkpoint without drastic cuts, it’s clear that David Stearns isn’t one to hold onto players unnecessarily until Opening Day. Last winter, we witnessed how he readily adds and subtracts players, ensuring competition during spring training.
Currently, five players remain with the Mets. Will they all make it to Opening Day?
5). Danny Young Among those tendered contracts, Danny Young stands out with an intriguing case. He had a strong performance for a significant portion of the past year but stumbled towards the end, cementing his role as more of a mop-up option for the postseason roster. Nevertheless, his contributions shouldn’t be overlooked; despite a 4.54 ERA over 37.2 innings, Young was crucial as the most reliable left-hander in the Mets’ bullpen.
Retaining Young is logical for the Mets, as he won’t be arbitration-eligible until after the 2026 season, allowing them to keep him at league minimum this year and next. He represents a cost-effective option, ideally serving as a secondary lefty rather than the primary one.
However, the drawback is that Young has limited minor league options left, placing him on the cusp of being designated for assignment (DFA). If he makes it through the offseason, he could be among the first to go if he shows any signs of struggling.
Given his impressive strikeout rate of 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings, the Mets would be wise to hold onto Young and see how the offseason plays out. They could have much worse options in the bullpen than him.
4). Tyler Zuber, This situation is quite perplexing. Tyler Zuber was acquired at last year’s trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for promising minor league reliever Paul Gervase. Zuber hadn’t had a significant impact in his major league career, but the Mets were hoping his impressive 2.49 ERA in Triple-A would translate well to their roster. Unfortunately, he never made it out of Triple-A Syracuse, and it’s clear why—he posted a dismal 12.38 ERA over 16 innings.
Zuber seemed to fall victim to the struggles that plagued many of his Syracuse teammates. Though a few relievers had decent seasons, others, like Mike Vasil, Dom Hamel, and even Brandon Sproat after his promotion, faced challenges as well.
Struggling to find success, Zuber ended his time in Syracuse with a troubling 2.68 WHIP, largely due to a staggering 8.4 walks per nine innings. So why is he still on the roster?
Adding to the dilemma, Zuber has no minor league options left. This means he either needs to make the Opening Day roster or he will be released, which seems unlikely.
There doesn’t seem to be a logical reason for the Mets to continue pursuing this path with Zuber. It would make sense to release him and potentially bring him back on a minor league deal. Perhaps allowing him to showcase his skills during spring training could build some goodwill between him and the organization, especially if he doesn’t find a better opportunity elsewhere. However, if this plan is in place, Zuber should be one of the first players the team designates for assignment as the 40-man roster tightens up.
3). Jose Azocar Jose Azocar can be described as outfield insurance for the Mets. Acquired off waivers from the San Diego Padres in September, he was seen as a potential source of speed off the bench during the final month of the season. However, he never made it to the majors with the Mets, although he had a solid performance in the minors.
In just 13 games with Syracuse, Azocar posted an impressive .353/.382/.529 slash line, hitting two home runs and stealing six bases in seven attempts.
As a depth piece in the minors, Azocar has a lot to offer. He has the speed and fielding ability and has shown he can hit well against Triple-A pitchers. The challenge is that New York City often focuses more on the major league team than on their minor league players upstate.
Azocar’s situation is similar to that of Zuber. The Mets might consider designating him for assignment (DFA) and re-signing him to a minor league deal if necessary. Since he no longer has minor league options available, he can only remain on the roster if the team doesn’t have comparable players like Tyrone Taylor or Jose Siri ready for Opening Day. While there is currently space on the 40-man roster, he may not have a long-term spot. If the Mets find a better or more essential player and the roster fills up, he could be DFA’d.
2). Max Kranick, a somewhat unexpected Mets representative in the playoffs, remains an enigma. Due to his injury history, he earned an extra minor league option, but it’s still uncertain whether he can be sent to the minors again in 2025. If he can, it might make sense to keep him around. However, if the Mets cannot option him to Syracuse, they may need to designate him for assignment and hope he clears waivers—an outcome that actually happened midway through the 2024 season.
Kranick performed decently for Syracuse, finishing with a 3.57 ERA over 63 innings. He successfully adapted to a relief role after primarily serving as a starter earlier in his career.
However, his performance wasn’t stunning. With just 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings, a 1.22 WHIP, and a relatively high rate of 1.7 home runs per nine, Kranick spent much of the season in the minors until the Mets needed a reliable innings eater for the postseason. If Tylor Megill hadn’t started the penultimate regular season game against the Atlanta Braves, many Mets fans might not even be familiar with Kranick.
It would be wonderful to see him continue with the team in some capacity. Given his background as a Mets fan, it’s likely he would choose to return to the Mets if he were cut before Opening Day. We all want to support someone chasing their childhood dreams
1). Luis De Los Santos A recent waiver pickup by the Mets from the Toronto Blue Jays, Luis De Los Santos falls into a similar category as some of those other minor additions from last year. There is a big difference between him and Zack Short, though. De Los Santos can and will be optioned to the minor leagues by any team that employs him.
A versatile defender with most of his minor league career spent at shortstop, De Los Santos gives the Mets an alternative on the infield in the form of depth. They’ve shown a desire to employ older players in multiple roles rather than test out some of the more coveted prospects. De Los Santos would be someone to help out on the infield if none of the younger players are deemed ready or the job would be to sit on the bench and wait for their moment.
Given the specificity of the role, why wouldn’t the Mets let him linger around? Last year’s team didn’t stash all too many position players in the minor leagues. Whenever possible, those spots went to a pitcher. There isn’t some grand ceiling for De Los Santos to reach. His .228 batting average through 425 plate appearances at the Triple-A level doesn’t suggest he’s a few swings away from earning a starting role.
Last offseason was full of short-term additions to the 40-man roster. Players would come and go before even getting a chance to put on a Mets jersey. Even those with minor league options were replaced. It’s a nothing to lose scenario.
Fans would definitely prefer to see players like Luisangel Acuna, Ronny Mauricio, or Luke Ritter take on the sort of backup role De Los Santos would have. Eventually, maybe. More likely, the job goes to someone a little more accomplished and De Los Santos ends up back on the waiver wire and either claimed by another club or he accepts a minor league assignment.
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