3 NY Mets non-roster invitees taking advantage of their spring training opportunity

Obvious New York Mets roster cuts continue to take place with the team jettisoning multiple members of their 40-man roster down to the minors. There was little doubt about the moves they’ve already made. Still left to be determined are the final bench spot as well as a seat in the bullpen.

The Mets didn’t necessarily have anyone off of the 40-man roster with a clear path to the Opening Day roster, but with some injuries as well as impressive results, there are opportunities for certain individuals to sneak their way on. Players on this list remain on the outside looking in. To their credit, they’ve taken advantage of their opportunity to play this spring. 

1) Rico Garcia

An early yet small addition to the Mets on a minor league deal, the team picked up Rico Garcia without much fanfare. With just 30 games at the major leagues under his belt and a horrifying 7.32 ERA, expectations were minimal.

Now 31, the Mets seemed to buy into what Garcia accomplished in Triple-A for the Washington Nationals last year. A 3.94 ERA, 20 saves, and 13 strikeouts per 9 showcased his stuff as well as an ability to get the final outs. He’d actually finish 46 games for the Rochester Red Wings, logging 61.2 innings.

This spring has included 4.1 innings from Garcia. All of them have been clean without a single run charged to him. A pair of hits, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts have come along with it, too. Garcia was hardly the most familiar external player added to the ball club in the offseason. A strong start to the spring has helped him stand out from the rest of the battalion of minor league free agents vying for a future opportunity with the Mets.