7 NY Mets players who will make the Opening Day roster but will be on thin ice

6) Griffin Canning

Holmes will have a place to go if he struggles as a starter. In whatever role Griffin Canning has, the Mets have even less reason to believe in a turnaround. Canning was signed to be starting pitcher depth but maybe a spot in the bullpen is where he begins. Lackluster results for the Los Angeles Angels have many of us scratching our heads as to exactly how he’ll fit in. 

Of course, Canning could just as easily succeed in a relief role the same way Holmes might dazzle as a starter. That’s the absolute best-case scenario. Almost 40 years without a championship, Mets fans know not to expect the best-case scenario whatsoever.

We saw the ruthlessness of Stearns last year even with players considered to be “his guys.” Adrian Houser came over from the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade and yet he couldn’t survive the full year on the team. Houser managed to be a competent reliever, but the greater need for high-leverage arms eventually led to his demise.

A salary of just over $4 million will make Canning expendable. Stearns has the luxury of working for an owner who wants a championship at whatever cost. Dead money on the books is meaningless if it means a parade.