10/17/26

MACK – Let’s Revisit - RHRP - Brian Metoyer

 


MACK – Let’s Revisit - RHRP - Brian Metoyer 

Brian Metoyer is a right-handed relief pitcher in the New York Mets organization (currently with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets). Background
  • Drafted by the Mets in the 40th round (1,190th overall) of the 2018 MLB Draft out of LSU Alexandria.
  • Born November 13, 1996 (age 29), from Natchitoches, LA; 6'3", ~173 lbs; bats/throws R/R.
  • Long minor-league career delayed by injuries, including two Tommy John surgeries (missed 2023–2024 seasons). Re-signed as a minor-league free agent in December 2024.
  • Known as an underdog story—late-round pick with limited innings early due to injuries but strong strikeout rates when healthy. He bonded with fellow Mets prospect Matt Allan during rehab as members of the “Double TJ” club.
2026 Performance (as of recent data)
  • Appearing primarily as reliever for Binghamton (AA) and Syracuse (AAA).
  • AA/Binghamton - 35-apps, 4.38, 1.25
  • AAA/Syracuse - 15-apps, 4.32, 1.32
  • AAA/AA- 55.2-IP, 34-BB, 87-K
  • Strong strikeout ability has been a consistent trait (career minors K totals stand out relative to innings).
Pitching Repertoire / ArsenalFrom 2026 Binghamton notes and prior scouting:

  • 4-seam fastball: 92–95 mph
  • 2-seam fastball: 92–94 mph
  • Changeup: 87–89 mph
  • Slider: 87–90 mph (newer addition post-injury; described by a scout as “[expletive] nasty”)
  • Curveball: 76–79 mph (his signature pitch; rated the best curveball in the Mets system by Baseball America entering 2022)
He has historically leaned on the curve as a put-away pitch and has worked on refining the changeup and adding the slider for a more complete mix after returning from surgery. Early career reports also noted a fastball that could touch the mid-to-upper 90s with projection. Metoyer remains a depth/organizational arm with strikeout upside in relief, still chasing a possible MLB opportunity after overcoming significant injury setbacks. 

He’s a 29-year-old right-hander (born November 13, 1996, in Natchitoches, LA; 6'3"/173 lbs, B/T: R/R). 

The Mets selected him in the 40th round (pick 1,190) of the 2018 MLB Draft out of LSU Alexandria. 

He’s a long-time organizational arm and underdog story: multiple Tommy John surgeries (including a second one) limited him, he missed significant time, and he re-signed as a minor-league free agent in late 2024. He has a strong strikeout profile and reached AAA in 2026.
2026 Stats - see above
  • He was promoted from Double-A Binghamton to Syracuse in early August 2026 and has shown strong strikeout rates (often 13+ K/9 in recent lower levels).
Pitching RepertoireCommonly listed as: 4-seam fastball, 2-seam/sinker, curveball, slider, changeup.

  • Curveball: His signature pitch. Rated the best in the Mets system by Baseball America entering 2022. High-spin (often 3,000+ RPM, with reports of ~3,200–3,300 in tracked outings), sits in the high-70s to low-80s (around 78–79 mph in recent data). It generates high whiff rates and was a big reason for his prospect notice.
  • Fastballs: 4-seam and 2-seam/sinker in the low-to-mid 90s (has touched higher historically, including mid-90s to 97 in college/draft reports). Recent tracked data shows sinker around 94+ mph and cutter-like usage in the low 90s.
  • Slider: Added/developed more after recovery; described by scouts as “nasty.”
  • Changeup: Part of the mix (mid-to-high 80s historically); he has worked on refining it.
In 2021 Arizona Fall League tracking he mixed a cutter (~93 mph), high-spin curve (~79 mph), and sinker. 

 He throws from a high three-quarters arm slot.

Metoyer is a high-upside strikeout reliever type whose path has been slowed by injuries. He’s drawn “one call away from MLB debut” commentary after reaching AAA. 

56 innings, 87 Ks (14 K/9) in 2026? 

His call will come in 2027.



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MACK – Here Comes the Draft… Here Comes the Draft (3 possibilities for Mets first pick)

 


We now move on to one of the reasons they pay me around here (sic)… making sure all of you are up to speed on the players available in the next draft. We still don’t know the exact pick the Mets will have in the first round, but we will know it will be a good one. We also know they will have another pick in the top 100, so this series will cover, at worst, the first two Mets pick in 2027.

A lot of personal reflection here, especially with the first player I pick here:


Tague Davis, 1B, Louisville

21/yrs. old – 6-4, 220 – LHH

2026 – NCAA/Louisville – 231-AB, 70-K, 34-HR, 98-RBI, 36-BB, .355/.443/.848/1.292

Hey Tom. Looking for power?

Hey Gus. Looking for first baseman?

Sure, his K/9% is high but isn’t all first basemen? I mean, this guy did lead all of Division 1 with 34 homers in 2026. That’s power, right?

He looks like a lumberjack with a twig in his mitts. Did I tell you he hits without batting gloves? This is so Ted Kluszewski like.

Scout grade his power potential as 70-grade; however, he currently has 30-grade bat-to-ball skills. Chases breaking balls too often. Work is needed here, but look at the monster you are working with?

Defensively, possesses one of the best gloves in baseball.

So… Alonzo power with a Keith glove on his hands.

Sign me up.

 

Dax Whitney, RHP, Oregon State

20/yrs. old – 6-5/220 –

2026/Oregon State:    11-ST, 6-1, 2.00, 0.95, 63.0-IP, 18-BB, 104-K

Whitney was easily the top pitcher in this draft before he went under the knife in May for a torn right UCL (TJS). Is Gus’s favorite pitcher still worth a pick this early? The Mets have been known to draft top prospects that just came off the IL. Will they do that again? Should they do it again (he will not be ready come opening day)? As for talent, no one in this draft has this much. Already runs a fastball up to 101 (sits in upper 90s). Three excellent secondary pitches, including a Chase Burns-like cutter. Labeled as the best pitching prospect since Paul Skenes. A 36.7% whiff rate in 2026.

Me?

I really don’t want another Blade Tidwell, or Calvin Zeigler on this team, but I also have to recognize that Whittley has the God-given talent that only comes around once in a while. Luckily, I don’t have to make the call here. I just break out the research.


 

Tomas Valincius, LHP, Mississippi State

21/yrs. old – 6-2/225

2026/Mississippi State -          17-ST, 11-2, 3.50, 1.07, 97.2-IP, 20-BB, 134-K

Looking for a healthy, highly talented, starter?

Valincius spent his freshman year at Virginia, then followed his coach Brian O’Connor to Mississippi State.

Three-pitch mix… a deceptive fastball that sits around 95 mph (98), a mid-80s slider with depth that missed bats at a 48-percent clip (Synergy), and an effective mid-80s changeup. Smooth delivery with short. Quick arm action. Best secondary pitch is his mid-80s slider. Also has a feel for upper-80s changeup.

Needs to work on developing more run than carry on his fastball.

Rarely walks batters. And, he’s had all this successful while pitching to batters in the SEC.

Did I tell you he’s a lefty?

 

 



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Reese Kaplan -- Who Could the Mets Peddle Away In Trades?


So let’s pretend for a moment that the Mets actually have a General Manager whose job it is to improve the roster for the upcoming abbreviated season. Forget for a moment the chronically injured and lightning in a bottle candidates the POBO felt were suitable replacements for All Stars like Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz.  Let’s instead look at it from the other perspective of who could/should go in possible trades to help the roster become one better than a last place team.

The first name on the list is Kodai Senga who finished the 2026 season with a highly unexpected flourish after starting off with last pace Little League numbers as a starting pitcher.  I’d advocated using him in the pen early in the season but David Stearns was apparently still clinging to his flashback memory about what kind of a pitcher closer Devin Williams was when both were in Milwaukee and actually attempted to win baseball games rather than getting crowned for who in the front office has the biggest ego and can’t admit when he was wrong.

The long overdue switch to closer happened more out of necessity than the attempt to win games.  When Williams hit the IL with a shoulder strain in his pitching arm the Mets were in desperate need of someone to finish games for them in is place.  Senga was tapped for this role and was surprisingly effective most of the time. With shorter outings than he had as a starter he was able to allow his velocity to creep up a bit. Coupled with his ghost fork, he turned himself into a highly credible reliever when the team needed it most.


Fast forward to the spectator seats during the off season and the Mets must make a decision moving forward about Senga.  Williams is theoretically healthy and on the books not only for 2027 but for 2028 as well at an annual rate of $17 million.  With that kind of pay he’s not likely to be the setup guy despite two consecutive subpar season in the Bronx and in Queens. 

By contrast, Kodai Senga has just one season left at $15 million as his 5-year $75 million deal  draws to a close after the 2027 season.  Given the short term debt his deal would require  for a potential trade partner it may indeed be possible to find a team either in need of a closer or who think they can return him into becoming the dominating starter he once was.  The return on such a deal should not be throwaway players but the combination of Senga’s injury history and his erratic starting pitching performance for the past two years might mitigate the level of return you could expect. 

The other relatively strong return candidate would be catcher Francisco Alvarez.  I’ve already profiled that he is a much surer guy to sit behind the dish than anyone else in the system ready to play in the majors but here’s no denying that a power hitting young catcher would indeed generate a decent trade return.  The issue here is the vacancy his departure would create.

The other trade candidates the Mets have are maddeningly inconsistent and worth very little in deals.  Think Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, Tylor Megill, Tobias Myers and other similar less desirable choices for other teams. 

Finally there are the expensive deals that are rather difficult to move without paying down significantly or taking back an equally undesirable deal in return.  Here you would find Marcus Semien, Sean Manaea and Jorge Polanco. 

Now it is possible that some of the unproven minor leaguers could sweeten some trade offers but opposing teams can read analytical reports and smirk at the metrics they contain.  You’re not going to get first class goods for a Ryan Clifford type but he might appeal to another team as a longshot wildcard prospect in a package deal.  

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10/16/26

MACK – Let’s Revisit - LHRP - Felipe De La Cruz

 


MACK – Let’s Revisit - LHRP - Felipe De La Cruz 

Felipe De La Cruz is a left-handed pitcher (LHP/LHRP prospect) in the New York Mets organization; his main repertoire is a mid-90s sinker/fastball (up to ~98 mph in relief) + gyro slider (mid-80s), with a changeup as a tertiary pitch. Background
  • Born May 26, 2001 (age 25), Yamasa, Dominican Republic. 6'0", 160 lbs, B/T: L/L.
  • Signed by the Mets as an international free agent in March 2021.
  • Primarily a starter earlier in his career but has transitioned toward more relief work (especially noted in 2025–2026). He has bounced between Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies and Triple-A Syracuse Mets. As of early August 2026, he was placed on the 7-day IL with Binghamton (later activated per some reports). He remains a minor-league arm, not yet on the 40-man roster in available updates.
2026 - AA/Binghamton: 33-apps, 1-2, 2.81,1.37, 41.2-IP, 25-BB, 53-K
Pitch Repertoire / ArsenalScouting and game reports describe a relatively simple, effective mix that plays particularly well in shorter relief outings:

  • Primary fastball / sinker: Mid-90s (typically averages ~94–96 mph). Touches 97–98 mph in shorter relief stints. Often described as a sinker; generates ground balls and plays up from a three-quarters arm slot with some “sling.”
  • Gyro slider: Mid-80s (roughly 84–88 mph, often noted around 85–87). His main secondary/out pitch; high usage and swing-and-miss generator.
  • Changeup: Occasional third pitch (used sparingly—e.g., only a handful of times in a 70-pitch Triple-A start). Listed in earlier media guides alongside a four-seamer option.
In a notable 2025 Triple-A debut start (6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K), ~66 of 70 pitches were fastball or gyro slider, with just four changeups. In a subsequent relief appearance, he threw only fastball/slider and saw a velocity bump. 

Earlier organizational notes (2024) listed the repertoire as 4-seam, slider, and changeup; more recent observations emphasize the sinker + gyro slider combination. He has shown strong strikeout rates at times (high K-BB% in limited samples) and has drawn attention as a potential big-league lefty bullpen option when the Mets need LHRP help, though command and consistency have been works in progress across levels.

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Reese Kaplan -- The Weird 2026/2027 Baseball Calendar


It’s become something of a regular review for me about the upcoming baseball calendar.  In years past it focused primarily on pending free agent acquisitions and roster removals to create space to fill with new faces.  This year it’s a bit different because of the elephant in the room.

The first big date occurs five days after the conclusion of the World Series.  It is then that players who are eligible can choose to file for free agency.

In the case of the Mets, the big question, of course, is what Bo Bichette will do with his opt-out clause giving him the ability to gamble on another team paying him either more money annually or for a greater number of years.  Conventional wisdom is that Bichette will stay after his middling year as a Met since no one is likely to want to commit $42 million for a guy with 78 RBIs this past year. 

After that there are no seemingly critical pieces left for the Mets to manage after the trade deadline sell off.  The upcoming Met organizational players eligible to depart include Vidal Brujan (minor league level), Bryce Conley (same deal), Chris Devenski (same deal), Dan Hammer (same deal), Kevin Herget, MJ Melendez (same deal with minor league free agency), Matt Seelinger (same deal), Zack Short and Guillo Zuniga (minor league level).  If all of them left no one would be shedding tears, though Devenski was a returning Met this past season.


The next big date on the baseball calendar is the annual GM Meeting taking place this year in Las Vegas between November 9th and 12th.  Given the upcoming December 1st lockout possibility it could mean that baseball executives could move much more aggressively to add players than they would have done without that pachyderm threatening to trample the 2027 season.  Normally the Winter Meetings are where roster changes usually start taking place but this uncertain baseball reality could indeed change things. 

Unrelated to the Mets this year is the mid November deadline for players either to accept or reject QOs before moving forward in free agency.  With teams having five days after the World Series to extend an offer, the player is then on the clock being given up to 10 days to decide whether or not to return to their 2026 team.  The Mets have no major league free agents even remotely near a QO decision.

In New York City between November 17th and 19th the Owner’s Meeting takes place during which the details of the likely lockout over the expiring CBA that will curtail the normal 162 game schedule for the upcoming 2027 season.


The next major decision point is the November 20th non-tender deadline for players currently under contract with less than six years of major league service time. For the Mets, this list could potentially include Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty, Reed Garrett, Tylor Megill, Christopher Morel, Dedniel Nunez, Cristian Pache, Cionel Perez, Austin Warren and Mark Vientos. 

The two players returning from injury — Garrett and Megill — require a little bit of analysis to decide how soon they could return and how effective they would be while in post surgery recovery.  Others who have value include Alvarez and Baty.  The ones who are less certain to return include Morel, Pache, Perez, Warren and Vientos. 

Normally the Winter Meetings are where the hot stove enthusiasts get excited to see who will or won’t be a part of the upcoming season’s roster.  If the lockout indeed takes place then the Winter Meetings this year are likely not to happen which not only will eliminate this annual roster feeding frenzy but also will postpone the MLB draft lottery and te Rule 5 draft.

Normally in February the teams and unsigned players on the roster who are eligible exchange arbitration figures.  A mediator is used to ascertain the allegedly fair contract amount for each qualified player in arbitration. 

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MACK - Chain Position Analysis - Shortstop

 


We're going to look into the Mets shortstop situation; however, we need to remember that the top two candidates that could become the next Mets starting shortstop were broken out a week ago under the second base category. Emilien Pitre and Mitch Voit are born and bred shortstops that have had to be switched to second base due to the presence of Francisco Lindor... and his contract. 

All long-term contracts rear their ugly heads some day and Lindor's is rearing as we write. These two alone would give this category an A rating, but let's look deeper and see if we can add an '+' to this rating.

RED PROSPECTS - 

MLB/Mets - Francisco Lindor - (32) - Lindor had a bad year in 2026, both with a bat in his hands (.224) and with a glove on his hand (11-E, .967). I still consider him one of the top players in this game. Lastly, he has started slow but always rallied. This year, probably due to injuries, the rally never happened. As for 2027, Lindor will remain the starting shortstop, but unless he turns this downward spiral around, a lock on that starting position in 2028 simply doesn't exist. There is a good change that Pitre and Voit could be your starting middle infielders in 2028, which would be fine by me.

A+/Brooklyn - Elian Pena - (18) - so much fanfare, so little regard for his age. Pena made quite a splash in 2025, hitting .292/.421/.528/.949 for the DSL Mets. It included 9-HR as a 17/year old. He fast-tracked in 2026, playing for both St. Lucie and Brooklyn. He had 516 at-bats in 2026, and hit 8-HR, 50-RBI, 70-BB, and only 118-K. Stat line: .255/.369/.370/.730. As an 18/year old. In my book, he is earning his $5mil signing bonus. 

He may not have dominated but, at his age, he is carrying his weight. He will return to Brooklyn for opening day and has a good chance of finishing the year in Syracuse. 

DSL - Wandy Asigen - only 61 professional (DSL) at-bats for the 16/year old. Still, an impressive start... seven of his 17 hits have been for extra-bases... .994-OPS... .279/.470/.525... 19-BB... 6-SB. Very small sample for someone that scouts have ranked as dripping of talent. I have him with much more potential than Pena.

DSL Futures - Euniel De La Cruz - (16) - also plays 3B - will sign with Mets on 1-15-2027 for a $3.3mil signing bonus - 5-11, 185 - named MVP for the Torneo Miracles in the youth Dominican squad. Far too early to evaluate but not too early to color code.

 
BLUE PROSPECTS - 

AAA/Syracuse - Ronny Mauricio - (25) - plays 3B and 2B - perennial RED prospect that gets re-colored due to the Mets inability to utilize him in a starting role. Why, you ask? We will probably never know since there is a good chance he will be dealt before the strike ends. At best, a future platoon hitter vs. LHP. 19-K in 58 MLB AB. At worse, a Latin league coach. 


ALMOST PROSPECTS - 

A+/Brooklyn - Antonio Jiminez - (22) - also plays 3B & 2B - 3rd rd. 2025 (under slot signee) - 2026: 349-AB combined St. Lucie/Brooklyn: 10-HR, 32-RBI, 112-K, 48
6-BB, 23-SB, ONLY .201 (.150 at Coney). Viewed as a defensive minded shortstop with developing power. Barely hanging on almost.

A/St. Lucie - Boston Baro - (22) - also plays 3B & 2B - 8th rd. 2023 - only 34-AB in 2026 due to a right shoulder injury which took its sweet arse time to heal. Early on, scouts had his hitting tools in the 40-55 range, with an overall grade of 4, but he just hasn't panned out yet. Age leads to a needed giddy-up. 

DSL - Sebastian Toro - (18) - also plays 3B & 2B - RHH - $300K bonus 1-15-2026 - 
2026/DSL - 184-AB, 47-K(!), 1-HR, 29-RBI, 10-SB, 25-BB, ,250/,349/.337/.686. Just gettin' going. 

MACK spin - You have a very talented major league starter, two of your top prospects waiting in the wings at second, and three lined up top international kiddies just sharpening their bats. Is there a grade above A+?

Rating - A++



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10/15/26

MACK – Let’s Revisit - RHRP - Carlos Guzman

 


MACK – Let’s Revisit - RHRP - Carlos Guzman

 Guzmán is a 28-year-old right-handed relief pitcher (born May 16, 1998, in Maracay, Venezuela; 6'1", 210 lbs, R/R) currently in the Mets’ minor-league system (primarily Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies in 2026, with some Triple-A Syracuse time). He has no MLB appearances. The Mets signed him as a minor-league free agent in November 2023 (and re-signed him after he elected free agency). He previously pitched in the Tigers and Cubs systems. Pitch Arsenal / RepertoireRecent notes (including a 2025 Binghamton/Syracuse game notes summary) list his pitch mix as:

  • 4-seam fastball: 92–95 mph (mid-90s; earlier reports also described it in the mid-90s range). Prospect grading has rated it roughly average/plus (55/55 on the 20–80 scale).
  • Cutter: 86–88 mph.
  • Sweeper (or slider variant): 82–85 mph. Earlier grading treated the breaking ball (slider) around 55/55.
  • Changeup: 83–85 mph (graded around 50/50).

Older scouting notes (from his Tigers days and when the Mets signed him) described a mid-90s fastball with a slider and changeup. He has transitioned more fully to a multi-pitch relief look that includes the cutter and sweeper. FanGraphs-style pitch-type data from recent seasons shows usage of four-seam, cutter, and secondary offerings (exact percentages vary by level/year and are limited by minor-league tracking). Command has been graded below average (around 40), which is a common limiter for upper-level success. He generates solid strikeout rates (often ~9–11 K/9 in recent Double-A stretches) but can issue walks.
  • 2025: Strong AA year (2.95 ERA, multiple saves in ~43 IP for Binghamton) with limited AAA time.
  • Career minors: Solid strikeout rates and mostly mid-3.00s to low-4.00s ERAs as a reliever after earlier starting experience.
He has also pitched in the Venezuelan Winter League (Tigres de Aragua) with strong results in some seasons and appeared on Venezuela’s 2026 WBC radar as a non-MLB arm.

“Plus repertoire” context: The fastball and breaking ball have graded as roughly average-to-plus (55s), with the changeup more fringe-average. It is a workable multi-pitch relief mix (especially with the added cutter/sweeper), but command and consistency against higher-level hitters have been the main hurdles to a sustained MLB opportunity. 

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RVH – The Season Is Over. Now the Real Work Begins.

 

The 2026 season ended September 27 in Washington, a 6–4 loss to the Nationals.

74–88. Last place in the NL East.

The payroll was a record. The finish was the worst since 2017, and the first last-place finish since 2003. But the season didn't end the way it started. After the deadline sell-off, the kids got their chance, Lindor and Soto got healthy, and the Mets played winning baseball. David Stearns called that stretch "real," and he backed it by making Andy Green the full-time manager through 2029.

That matters.

But it's over.

What happens next won't be decided by September momentum. It will be decided by the unglamorous work of the next seven weeks.

The Mets' offseason doesn't begin with free agency.

It begins with subtraction.

Remember the Distinction

The 26-man roster is who plays. The 40-man roster is who the organization is willing to protect, pay, and store.

Right now, the 40-man is full. And as many as four more players are coming back to it. Shortly after the World Series, Jorge Polanco, Tylor Megill, Reed Garrett, and Justin Hagenman come off the 60-day injured list, and they count again.

The Calendar:

Window

Event

~5 days after World Series

60-day IL players restored to 40-man; option decisions

Mid-to-late November

Rule 5 protection deadline

A few days later

Non-tender deadline

December 1

CBA expires

December

Rule 5 Draft (if it happens)


The protection and non-tender deadlines fall before the CBA expires. The Rule 5 Draft falls after. In 2021, the lockout canceled the Rule 5 Draft entirely.

The deadlines will happen. The draft may not. The Mets won't bet on that.

The Math

Step

Count

40-man plus returning 60-day IL

44

Likely Rule 5 protections

+6

Room for free agency and trades

+2 to 3

Spots that must be cleared

~12 to 13


A dozen names, gone before the Winter Meetings.

That's the real offseason.

Who Gets Protected?

Must protect: Jefferson Rojas, the organization's No. 1 prospect.

Should protect: Gary Gill Hill, Jacob Reimer, Jack Wenninger, Zach Franklin, Ben Simon.

On the bubble: Ryan Clifford and Chris Suero. Clifford was supposed to be the next homegrown bat; a stalled year at Syracuse says otherwise. Suero's versatility is real, but a third catcher is exactly the kind of spot a crowded 40-man can't afford.

The long list of eligible players isn't the failure. Every organization exposes dozens. What the list reveals is the problem: former top picks and top prospects who stalled on the way up.

The Obvious Exits

Some decisions make themselves. Robert Stock, Cristian Pache, and Christopher Morel are all out of options. Eric Wagaman, Hayden Senger, and Christian Cairo are depth, not answers.

None of those moves will surprise anyone.

The interesting decisions are somewhere else.

The Game Is Played at the Margin

The 40-man isn't decided by the stars. It's decided by the players at the edge. That means how they were used, what they cost, and whether they can be stored.

Player

2026 role

2027 options

The clock

Jefry Yan

Shuttle lefty

2 (likely)

None; fully flexible

Daniel Duarte

Leverage innings

Unclear

Keep him; earned the spot

Austin Warren

Swing reliever

0

Opening Day or waivers

Mark Vientos

Bench bat

0

November: arbitration

Ronny Mauricio

Late recall

0

March: spring roster


Duarte, Warren, and Yan all earned a look. Duarte stepped into setup work after the deadline and was nearly unhittable for weeks. Yan, after a twelve-year trip through the minors, struck out hitters at an absurd rate.

But earning a spot and holding one aren't the same thing.

Warren is out of options. Keeping him locks a bullpen spot before camp even opens. Duarte is different: whatever his option status turns out to be, he finished the year strong enough that the Mets should protect him and live with the roster cost.

Yan's value is performance plus flexibility, with real upside.

Warren's value has to be performance alone.

Two Ways Out

Vientos and Mauricio may both be gone by Opening Day. But they're on different clocks.

Vientos is a November decision. He's arbitration-eligible for the first time. Tendering him means a raise for a player who has struggled for two straight seasons, and Stearns didn't mention him in his end-of-season remarks. The Mets can non-tender him, trade him, or tender him and cut him cheaply in spring.

Mauricio is a March decision. He's out of options and likely still pre-arbitration, so tendering him costs almost nothing. He homered three times in the final two games, and when asked, Stearns left the door open for him to compete for a bench job in spring.

Translation: carry him through the winter, or trade him before someone claims him for nothing.

Same possible outcome. Different mechanisms.

The Real Question

The Mets finished strong. That's real.

But September doesn't set the roster. November does.

Stearns has already said the rotation needs reinforcing, first base wasn't good enough, and there are options beyond Marcus Semien at second. Every one of those additions needs a 40-man spot that doesn't exist yet.

A 40-man roster isn't a list. It's a statement of belief about who matters in 2027.

Over the next seven weeks, the front office has to make that statement, one marginal decision at a time.

Sources: FanGraphs RosterResource; Baseball-Reference; MLB.com, AP, and SNY coverage of David Stearns' end-of-season press conference; Mets On SI; 2026 transaction reports.

Final qualification: Official 2026–27 offseason dates have not been published. Option status is reconstructed from 2026 transaction records; confirm against official rosters. The current CBA expires December 1, 2026, and a new agreement could change the Rule 5 Draft, termination pay, and other rules discussed here.


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