It seems the NY Mets have one of the easiest Rule 5 Draft 40-man roster situations

November 18 is the day when teams have to make their final 40-man roster decisions ahead of next month’s Rule 5 Draft. Last year, the New York Mets lost Mike Vasil to the Philadelphia Philadelphia Phillies (he’d wind up with the Tampa Bay Rays and later the Chicago White Sox where he’d play all season) as well as Nate Lavender to the Rays. He was returned to the Mets a few days ago.

This year, there isn’t nearly as much controversy as to what they should do. Nick Morabito was the club’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2024 and while he wasn’t as fantastic in 2025, looks like a capable bench piece at the very least in the near future. He was one of two Mets prospects ranking in their top 30 whom they’ll need to make a decision on. The other is Douglas Orellana.

It feels like a no-brainer decision for the Mets to protect Morabito on their 40-man roster. Orellana is someone who could go unclaimed and isn’t quite as necessary to add. Meanwhile, as MLB.com covered, other ball clubs have much tougher choices to make.

The Mets have one of the easier calls to make ahead of Tuesday’s roster deadline in regards to the Rule 5 Draft

Scroll up one team and we see the Minnesota Twins with 10 prospects ranked in their top 30 who’ll need to be protected. One spot down alphabetically, the New York Yankees have another 10. There are only so many 40-man roster spots you can dish out to prospects. Half of those listed for the Yankees rank in their top 10. Someone’s getting dangled out there.

The Mets have made several mistakes in regards to the Rule 5 Draft in just the last two years. They wrongfully decided to protect Alex Ramirez who had a poor 2024 season and ended up non-tendered then re-signed to a minor league deal. He didn’t make it through the 2025 season before getting released. The aforementioned loss of Vasil remains fresh. To some extent, their selection of Justin Slaten and immediate trade of him to the Boston Red Sox hasn’t worked out so well. While it did bring them minor leaguer Ryan Ammons, an injury in 2025 might derail his career for some time. Slaten, meanwhile, put together an incredible rookie season with the Red Sox in 2024 before falling down a few notches in 2025. Among the mistakes the Mets have made, this is relatively minor.

For the Mets to have no one but their number 16 and 26 prospects up for the Rule 5 Draft is a good position to be. Any team who would take a chance on Orellana would have to be in love with him to believe he’d actually succeed in the majors. As many walks as strikeouts in limited Triple-A action last year, he’s not the kind of player you can safely expect to pass through or get returned.

This isn’t the case for Morabito. Stash him on your bench for all of 2026. Use him as a pinch runner. There’s a place for him.

One of the more curious players who becomes Rule 5 eligible this year is Kevin Parada. Once a top Mets prospect, could a fallen 10th overall selection who finally showed some signs of success last year possibly be worth sticking on your roster? A team that regularly uses three catchers might find it a worthy addition.