5 NY Mets players who will begin the year on the roster but might be gone by Memorial Day

The New York Mets had quite the offseason. They made a ton of additions, re-signing Pete Alonso and Sean Manaea and adding Juan Soto to the largest contract in professional sports history. However, not all of their additions are as high-profile as these three. They also have a handful of depth players on their active roster who are replaceable. Many of these players aren’t likely to stick around for the entirety of the 2025 season, and these five could even be gone by Memorial Day.

1) Nick Madrigal

Nick Madrigal once looked like a future all-star. A former first-round pick by the Chicago White Sox, Madrigal put up a .317/.358/.406 triple-slash, .334 wOBA, and 111 wRC+ in 324 plate appearances between 2020 and 2021. He only walked in 4.6% of his trips to the plate with a sub-.100 isolated slugging percentage (.089), but he rarely struck out with a 7.4% K%. He also flashed above-average defense at the keystone.

Madrigal was then traded to the Chicago Cubs at the 2021 trade deadline, but it’s been quite some time since he flashed the potential he did with their crosstown rival. In 616 plate appearances with the Cubs, Madrigal batted just .251/.304/.312. He still only has a 9.9% K%, but his walk rate has stayed constant at 4.5%. It’s not as if power has all of a sudden become a part of his game either, as he hit just two home runs with a .061 isolated slugging with the Cubs.

Madrigal’s defense at second base hasn’t been anything to write home about. During his time with the Cubs, he had +3 defensive runs saved, -1 out above average, and a +2.3 UZR/150 across 652.1 innings. He has played more innings at the hot corner for the Cubs, where he has looked much better with +8 DRS, +7 OAA, and a +3.6 UZR/150 in 698.1 innings.

The Mets have too much young middle infield talent to give Madrigal much playing time unless he pulls a 2024 Jose Iglesias. If the Mets need some help up the middle, they should turn to Luisangel Acuna or Ronny Mauricio (if healthy). At this point in each of Madrigal, Acuna, and Mauricio’s respective careers, the Mets have a lot more to gain by seeing what either Acuna or Mauricio can do before giving Madrigal playing time.