5 Mets players who survived the non-tender deadline who could still get cut before Opening Day

The New York Mets didn’t have a bloodletting at Friday’s non-tender deadline. They removed Grant Hartwig, Alex Young, and Alex Ramirez from the 40-man roster. Nine spots were left open. Two bats, three starting pitchers, and four bullpen arms, please!

Just because they survived this checkpoint of the offseason doesn’t mean the ever-ruthless David Stearns has plans of keeping them around until Opening Day. We experienced firsthand last winter how Stearns is willing to add players and quickly subtract them. He takes precaution. He truly lets players battle it out in the spring.

These five players remain with the Mets, for now. Will they make it to Opening Day?

1) Danny Young

Of the players the New York Mets did tender a contract to, Danny Young had the most fascinating argument. He was terrific for a while this past year. It wasn’t until the final weeks when he pitched his way out of being anything more than a mop-up guy on the postseason roster. Still, we remain thankful for what he was able to accomplish. Although the 4.54 ERA in 37.2 innings doesn’t do him justice, Young was an important member of the Mets this past year as the most trusted lefty out of the bullpen.

Keeping Young around made a lot of sense for the Mets. Not yet arbitration eligible until after the 2026 season, they can continue to pay him league minimum through this year and next. He’s a cheap option to have in the bullpen. Hopefully, he’s the secondary lefty and not the top choice.

The big argument against him is his lack of minor league options remaining. Young will immediately be on the DFA bubble. If he did manage to survive the offseason, he’d be a candidate to get DFA’d at the first sign of trouble.

Young and his 11.5 strikeouts per 9 were far too impressive for the Mets to give up on him so quickly. See how the offseason unfolds. They could and unfortunately have done much worse with bullpen choices.