5 NY Mets players on the 40-man roster next in line to get cut from the team

2) Ji Hwan Bae

And the award for the least popular Mets transaction of the offseason goes to the waiver claim of Ji Hwan Bae. Suspended in 2019 for violating the Domestic Violence Policy, he’s an automatic “no” for 99.9% of fans. The 0.1% is a margin of “what are you thinking?

Beyond the off-field issues, Bae isn’t even a very good player. A .223 hitter with the Pittsburgh Pirates in parts of four seasons, his speed and defensive versatility are the best attributes he brings. The Mets have plenty of both in other players. Bae seems to be a guy they would stash in the minor leagues as a just in case of emergency. There isn’t a world in which he makes any sense at all to actually make the roster. So, why have him over so many other choices available? We’d have to ask the front office.

Not a great defender nor a guy who could even crack the Pirates lineup regularly last year despite the team having no serious chance to make the playoffs, the Mets would be out of their mind to choose him over a number of other players.

It’s only a matter of time before someone else is added to the Mets roster and replaces the intended role for Bae.