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.

2) Tyler Zuber

This one is puzzling. Tyler Zuber was picked up at last year’s trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays for promising minor league reliever Paul Gervase. Zuber hadn’t done much in his major league career. The Mets were banking on his 2.49 ERA in Triple-A translating well for them. He never made it out of Syracuse. There was a reason for it. Look no further than the 12.38 ERA he had in 16 innings of work.

Zuber caught the same bug that seemed to ruin the year of several other Syracuse teammates. While some, mostly a couple of the relievers, did manage to have good years it was a pit of despair for Mike Vasil, Dom Hamel, and even Brandon Sproat once he was promoted.

Unable to escape the misery, Zuber finished his time in Syracuse with a 2.68 WHIP aided in large part to 8.4 walks per 9. Why is he still around?

To make matters worse, Zuber doesn’t have any minor league options remaining. Ergo, he’s on the Opening Day roster or he’s gone. Not going to happen.

There isn’t rhyme or reason as to why the Mets should continue down the same path with Zuber. Releasing him and re-signing on a minor league deal is acceptable. Perhaps keeping him around long enough to show off his abilities in the spring can earn enough good faith between the player and organization for him to return if he doesn’t get a sweeter promise elsewhere. Even if this is the plan, he should be one of the first the team DFA’s once the 40-man roster gets tighter.

3) Jose Azocar

Outfielder insurance is the only way to describe Jose Azocar. Acquired in September off waivers from the San Diego Padres, Azocar was a candidate to give the Mets the speed off the bench they were asking for from a variety of different players in the final month. He never made it out of the minor leagues for the Mets. However, he did play pretty well.

Azocar set pitchers ablaze with a .353/.382/.529 slash line for Syracuse. A small sample of only 13 games, it included a pair of home runs and 6 stolen bases in 7 attempts.

As a minor league depth piece, Azocar is sensational. He can run and field. He has Triple-A pitchers figured out. The problem is we care more about the Mets in New York City than the ones way upstate in Syracuse where he belongs.

Azocar is in the same camp as Zuber. DFA and re-sign him to a minor league deal if you have to. Because he no longer has those coveted minor league options any longer, sticking with him only works if the team doesn’t have a player like Tyrone Taylor or Jose Siri ready for Opening Day. While there’s room on the 40-man roster, he can park. When someone better or more important comes around and the lot is full, expect him to get DFA’d.

5) Luis De Los Santos

A recent waiver pickup by the Mets from the Toronto Blue Jays, Luis De Los Santos falls into a similar category as some of those other minor additions from last year. There is a big difference between him and Zack Short, though. De Los Santos can and will be optioned to the minor leagues by any team that employs him.

A versatile defender with most of his minor league career spent at shortstop, De Los Santos gives the Mets an alternative on the infield in the form of depth. They’ve shown a desire to employ older players in multiple roles rather than test out some of the more coveted prospects. De Los Santos would be someone to help out on the infield if none of the younger players are deemed ready or the job would be to sit on the bench and wait for their moment.

Given the specificity of the role, why wouldn’t the Mets let him linger around? Last year’s team didn’t stash all too many position players in the minor leagues. Whenever possible, those spots went to a pitcher. There isn’t some grand ceiling for De Los Santos to reach. His .228 batting average through 425 plate appearances at the Triple-A level doesn’t suggest he’s a few swings away from earning a starting role.

Last offseason was full of short-term additions to the 40-man roster. Players would come and go before even getting a chance to put on a Mets jersey. Even those with minor league options were replaced. It’s a nothing to lose scenario.

Fans would definitely prefer to see players like Luisangel Acuna, Ronny Mauricio, or Luke Ritter take on the sort of backup role De Los Santos would have. Eventually, maybe. More likely, the job goes to someone a little more accomplished and De Los Santos ends up back on the waiver wire and either claimed by another club or he accepts a minor league assignment.