Tom Brennan - Remaining Options and Pen Arms in Metsville

Connor Grey - MiLB.com

Don't be surprised if Grey gets a few Mets outings in 2023: got all his options left, even if he's not on the 40 man roster and was only 5-6, 6.38 ERA in Syracuse in 2022, and is soon to turn 29. Pitchers usually get their brief shot.

In my third article over the past several days regarding young players being treated like chattel:

The speed of the annual bullpen shuffle in Queens (like the spin cycle in a clothes washer) is heavily dictated by remaining options of pitchers.

I have noted that the pitching game in baseball has drastically changed over time, as in 1969 and 1986 the Mets used just 15 pitchers, but over the past two seasons, annual pitcher usage has averaged in the mid 30s.

More hurler ups and downs than a Coney Island Coaster.

Spotrac is a neat site which, among other things, notes the number of options remaining of Metsies.

Steve Nogosek, in that light, is now a happy man, because he has no options left.  He cannot be sent down without risking losing him to another team.  Which makes him less likely to be sent down. Or at some point in 2023 more likely to pitch in the majors elsewhere.

Since first appearing in a Mets game in 2019, he has gotten into 20 games totaling 32 innings, going 1-3, 4.55, with most of that in a much-improved 2022, when in 12 games, he was 1-1, 2.45 in 22 innings.  Since 2019, though, he’s had many more (97) minor league appearances, with 2 of the 3 years involved being excellent, including a 1.07 ERA in 50 innings, and in 2022, a 2.30 ERA in 43 minor league innings.

If the Mets don't keep him on the roster, my guess is based on that 2022, some team will snatch him.

Brooks Raley, meanwhile, joins Steve in the Nogosek life raft, also having no options left.

Options remaining include the following:

Three Options Left:

Bryce Montes de Oca, Tylor Megill, Zach Greene, Stephen Ridings.

Two Options Left:

David Peterson, Tayler Saucedo, Jose Butto, Jeff Brigham, Joey Lucchesi, Drew Smith. (Saucedo was just DFAd to make room on the roster for Tommy Pham.)

One Option Left:

John Curtiss, Elieser Hernandez.

Of course, a guy who has yet to make it to the majors, but is likely to do so in 2023, Eric Orze, has 3 options just waiting to be used.  Also, guys like Grant Hartwig and Connor Grey and their 3 available options could come into play in 2023 as well.

And one non-option way to shuffle the pitching roster is to send a guy to the IL, which does not burn an option.

Which is a reason David Peterson has 2 options left and Megill has 3 left.  They have both been on the IL during their Mets' tenures.

All in all, these options give the Mets plenty of pitcher flexibility in 2023 - but will lead to many, if not most, of these guys spending time in the minors in 2023, especially the ones with options left.

Of course, management has to be prudent in using up player options in 2023, because they will need lots of pitchers with options left to be used in each and every subsequent year.

One inescapable conclusion: 

With available information like this, reading Macks Mets is not optional.