Luis Garcia pushes savvy free agent signing off projected NY Mets Opening Day roster

Luis Garcia will be a member of the New York Mets Opening Day roster. The latest addition to the team will get plugged in around fifth on the depth chart when everyone is healthy. He’s likely to be one of the first lines of defense, likely to come into a game with one out in the sixth inning and runners on the corners. Ask him to get a ground ball double play and go from there.

The move will cost the Mets $3 million at the most if all incentives are met, $1.75 million on the minimum. It’s a very low budget addition for the Mets roster and one we shouldn’t underrate. 

By adding him, it would appear the Mets might have bumped out an even savvier addition they made in free agency. Is there room for Adbert Alzolay?

The Mets might have a tough time fitting Adbert Alzolay and Luis Garcia on the same roster to begin the year

It’s not impossible. Alzolay, as a minor league free agent signing coming off of Tommy John surgery, might just not be ready to begin the year with the ball club. The Mets have wisely planned for this by stacking their bullpen and not leaving anything open for someone to steal a job. They’re likely to see at least someone get hurt. Already knowing there’s a chance A.J. Minter doesn’t begin the year with the team, they’ve loaded up on several lefty relievers.

Giving Alzolay some in-game action in Triple-A isn’t an unwise plan for the Mets. They may always need to promote him to the major league roster out of necessity. Spring training has a way of causing unexpected ailments and IL stints.

FanGraphs currently has Alzolay off the roster to begin the year and sensibly so. He isn’t on the 40-man roster currently. The Mets lack a whole lot of flexibility, Richard Lovelady and Cooper Criswell being a pair of non-optional relievers who could always end up on the waiver wire before we get to Opening Day. The former seems to be someone they’ll keep for the sake of replacing Minter to begin the year. The latter, Criswell, is someone whose job could be taken by Huascar Brazoban.

Criswell is currently the top longman option for the Mets, but last year’s plan with Brazoban included stretching him out in the minors for that kind of role. He’s currently their only optional reliever projected to make the Opening Day roster. It would make sense if he’s the long man although it’s no guarantee.

You never plan an 8-man bullpen. You should have at least 16 arms you trust to get you outs at some point in the year.

Garcia’s presence all but assures us Alzolay has an uphill battle at making the Mets out of camp. It probably also means no Dylan Ross and this being the end of all bullpen additions for the offseason.

It’s not bad. We know the Mets value roles in the bullpen and something bold like a trade for a top reliever (there are none left to sign) probably isn’t going to happen unless they completely ignore roles and negate the need for optional arms.