Reese Kaplan -- Mets Offseason Roster Bullet List Number Twelve

Mack's Mets will summarize players mentioned as possible new members of the team available via trade or free agency that have popped up in the media associated with them as a part of the 40 man roster.  These bullet points are not necessarily factual as if they were leaked from the Mets front office.  They comprise opinions, rumors and hypotheticals that various Mets beat writers and bloggers have felt necessary to put out into public notice.  Like EPA gas mileage ratings, take the news with a grain of salt.  We share but don’t necessarily endorse any of these transactions.

I’d thought about ending this series of rumors now that Spring Training has started but already there is news to be discussed and considered.

Long Term Need Arises

Word came out on Monday evening that Frankie Montas has a high grade lat strain which will keep him from throwing for pretty much all of Spring Training and then working his way back with a return in perhaps May.  That could mean 8 or more starts without the man signed as a $34 million free agent for reasons many still can’t fathom. 

The alternatives in-house are obvious.  You have Tylor Megill who was in the mix for either a bullpen slot or starting pitcher number 6.  Think of him as the Brett Baty of pitching, never having established himself at the major league level but not a terrible choice either.  He’s sporting a 4.56 ERA over 67 starts and 74 games.  While familiarity works in his favor, the fact he still has a minor league option left does not.

Then comes Griffin Canning who was another scratch-your-head free agent contract.  His career record doesn’t suggest that he would be any better than Montas or Megill, but then he hasn’t had his stint in the Mets pitching laboratory yet.  As a pitcher with a career ERA of 4.78 over the course of 94 starts and 99 games it doesn’t appear as if he offered very much but not his presence as a possible substitute can’t be denied. 

Next up on the 6th starter/bullpen tee is Max Kranick.  While he never appeared for the Mets at the major league level, he did do so for the Pirates.  Well, perhaps the less said, the better.  He came to the Mets with a career 5.56 ERA over 9 starts and 11 games.  In the minors last year at three levels he appeared in 45 games making 8 starts with a 3.82 ERA.  Given that relative success you can see why he’s thinly in the running.

Of course, the rumor mill is alive with Dylan Cease and Michael King wild-assed proposals offering up anyone not slated to be on the Mets 26 man roster in bundle with perhaps 2 others for a rental.  Given the need created by the injury expect that the price has gone up, not down.

Another name that came up quite familiar to the Mets is veteran Jose Quintana who still does not have a 2025 job.  With a career ERA of 3.74 and a 2024 ERA of 3.75, you pretty much know what you’re going to get — a pitcher who is better than Frankie Montas is when he is healthy.  Quintana might be seeking a multiyear deal now, but with no takers and him at age 36 you might snag him on a slight overpay for a single season. 

Look down the list of available free agent starters and a few more names catch your eye.  Kyle Gibson, Patrick Corbin, Andrew Heaney, Lance Lynn and Anthony DeScalfini are still available.  Oh yeah, Trevor Bauer is looking for a job, too.

On the trade front, anyone is possible including soon-to-be ex Yankee and former Met Marcus Stroman.  The pint-sized pot stirrer owns a career 3.72 ERA and is a few years younger than Quintana.  However, he would require a higher paycheck and the sacrifice of player assets to consummate a trade. 

Oh yeah...let’s not forget trade acquisition Paul Blackburn, he of injury recovery status and a career ERA of 4.85.  He kind of makes you yearn for a prompt recover of the career ERA 4.09 Frankie Montas.

Moving On...

This time of the year you tend to see a number of “you never know” types of articles about players not expected to come north with the team.  One such post was about injury-prone Oliver Ortega who can strike people out when healthy, but also has a career ERA just over 4.00. 

Jett Williams was the first injury at Port St. Lucie when he was plunked on the meaty part of the hand but reports are he will miss a few days and nothing major is expected to have come from the HBP. 

Closer Edwin Diaz is happy to be able to work out without any precautionary restrictions as he is 100% healthy.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is his revelation that in 2026 he once again wants to participate in the WBC which cost him his entire 2023 season.

Jose Butto was named a multi inning reliever by manager Carlos Mendoza.  As much as he might help in the starting pitcher mix (particularly now that they are down one) his value in the bullpen does not have a real replacement available to assume that role. 

Starting pitcher Kodai Senga was in the news and not just for his quality first batting practice appearance.  He voiced the opinion that the Mets would do better recruiting Japanese players (pitchers in particular) if they installed a roof to keep rain and cold out of the playing field.  That’s an expensive but interesting notion. 

Word also came out that newly acquired A.J. Minter who was slated to be the primary lefty out of the pen is going to be shut down while continuing to recover from hip surgery though the optimistic word is that it is not a long term thing, merely precautionary.  With few lefties in camp with high potential this loss of Minter could prove a bit harder to swallow than originally thought.

Speaking of injuries, Ronny Mauricio is continuing an extremely slow progress towards recovery which already cost him his 2024 season.  No one expects him to make the opening day roster.

We’ve already covered the second base proposition before the news of Brandon Nimmo’s injury recovery arose.  Right now in addition to Jeff McNeil you have Luisangel Acuna and Brett Baty in the mix along with newcomer Nick Madrigal.  There is no sign of a reunion with Jose Iglesias and Mauricio is not yet 100% healthy.

Starling Marte was in the news a bit this past week about accepting whatever role the team has in mind for him and the club’s transparency about trading him elsewhere that might give him many more innings of playing time than is projected to happen on the Mets.

Multiple places reported the prospect of Francisco Lindor being named the Mets team captain, a role that’s been vacant since David Wright’s retirement. 

Francisco Alvarez reported making some adjustments to his swing based upon advice from veteran All Star and former teammate J.D. Martinez.  Everyone is anxious to see if power can return to his offensive game after a dismal 2024. 

Oh, some guy named Juan Soto showed up in blue with orange trim in Port St. Lucie.  He said the player he’s most excited to see in the lineup is the eleventh hour returning Pete Alonso who does homer at an Aaron Judge rate for his career.