Carlos Mendoza Drops The Hammer: Mets Roster Decisions Leave Fans Reeling
Opening Day is just five days away now, which means the New York Mets will have to finalize their roster before Game No. 1 of the regular season Thursday.
On Saturday morning, manager Carlos Mendoza informed reporters of the team’s latest roster cuts and decisions.
Per Mendoza, the Mets have optioned Chris Devenski, Génesis Cabrera, Jakson Reetz, Donovan Walton and José Ureña to Triple-A Syracuse. Ureña, who was signed to a minor league deal after Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea went down with injuries, will not exercise the opt-out clause in his contract.
With Reetz and Walton getting sent down, this would presumably pave the way for Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuña and Hayden Senger to make the big-league club. However, Mendoza did not confirm these decisions, which means the Mets could still potentially make an external move. Baty and Acuña are filling in for Jeff McNeil (oblique strain) at second base and Senger would serve as the backup catcher to Luis Torrens with Francisco Alvarez likely sidelined (hand surgery) until May.
What Mendoza did confirm is that he told lefty reliever Danny Young, long-man Jose Butto and righty Reed Garrett that they have made the Mets’ major league bullpen. Garrett should be one of the main setup men to closer Edwin Diaz for the second straight season. Young is one of two lefty relief arms on the Mets’ 40-man roster and Butto is the club’s main long reliever in the bullpen.
With Young making the roster out of spring training, this could indicate that A.J. Minter and/or Dedniel Núñez might not begin the regular season with the Mets as both hurlers had still been making their way back from last season’s injuries.
The New York Mets still must finalize their starting rotation beyond Clay Holmes, David Peterson and Kodai Senga. Tylor Megill, Griffin Canning and Paul Blackburn are competing for the final two spots while Manaea and Montas remain on the shelf. One of Megill, Canning or Blackburn could also serve as a long reliever as well.
