2 Mets players to non-tender, 2 to protect, 1 to shop in trades by Tuesday’s deadline

Two Mets prospects to protect on the 40-man roster

Sorry Luke Ritter, you didn’t make the cut. As intriguing as you are, you just don’t fit into the mold of what the Mets are looking for. A productive hitter over the last two years, he’s not one of the two Mets prospects they absolutely need to protect. Expect a trade before the Rule 5 Draft so the Mets can walk away with something.

Dom Hamel, on the other hand, should be protected on the 40-man roster. This could always be temporary. Hamel didn’t have an inspiring 2024 campaign. He finished 5-9 with a 6.79 ERA. Hamel should be considered “on the block.” He turns 26 in March and after the year he put together, doesn’t look close to MLB-ready.

The Mets would be selling low on Hamel if they were to deal him away. Other clubs would absolutely snag him if available in the Rule 5 Draft which makes him important to protect for now regardless of what the future outcome is.

Mike Vasil is in the same spot. He struggled in Triple-A in 2024, too. A year younger than Hamel almost to the day, he was 8-10 with a 6.04 ERA. Triple-A hasn’t been kind to him. In 16 starts the previous season, Vasil was 4-4 with a 5.30 ERA. Maybe this is just a wall he’ll never get over or a push to the majors somehow yields better results.