3 NY Mets players who could bump Danny Young off the roster this spring

2) Genesis Cabrera

In yet another low-risk, high-reward move courtesy of David Stearns, enter Genesis Cabrera—a lefty who’s spent the last six seasons with the Cardinals and Blue Jays. The 28-year-old signed a minor league deal with a spring training invite back in November after clearing waivers and hitting free agency. Unlike Anthony Gose, where you’re rolling the dice on raw arm talent and hoping for the best, Cabrera is more of a known quantity. He’s got the track record and the tools to be a useful arm coming out of the pen, and honestly, he might just be one of those sneaky-good pickups that pay off for the Amazins.

Let’s hope the Mets upgraded their PitchCom devices because Cabrera’s bringing a full arsenal to the mound: sinker, cutter, four-seamer, curve, and changeup. Over six seasons, he’s put together a respectable 3.89 ERA, a 22.2% strikeout rate, a 1.349 WHIP, and a 73.4% left-on-base percentage in 272 appearances. His sinker can hit 96 mph, with a changeup and curve coming in at 88 and 78 mph, respectively. That changeup, by the way, saw limited action in 2024 (just 8% of his pitches), but when he threw it, hitters had no chance—posting an impressive 48.1% whiff rate and 0 balls that qualified as hard hit (exit velocity of 95+).

The downsides? Well, there’s a reason Cabrera is on his third team heading into his seventh season. Struggles with his command have become a recurring issue, evident with his 11.4% walk rate, higher than you’d like to see. Add in a 37.8% hard-hit percentage that’s a tick above average, and you start to see why he’s bouncing around. When things go south for him, they tend to spiral.

Though Cabrera’s stats won’t have Timmy blowing his trumpet, there’s real potential if he’s used the right way. With his pitch mix and a few tweaks from Jeremy Hefner, he could become a reliable contributor for the Mets. It’s a low-risk gamble, but one that might just pay off if Cabrera finds his groove.