The complicated post-trade deadline NY Mets promotion candidate

The New York Mets subscribe to the theory that it’s better to keep a young player in the minor leagues and let them play as often as possible rather than get a spot appearance here or there in the major leagues. When they called up A.J. Ewing, the purpose was to play regularly. Ronny Mauricio is toiling away on the farm for more than just his poor play in the major leagues. There’s little to gain from having him see minimal action.

What do the Mets do when a player is clearly not getting a starting gig of any kind and the best bet is for him to be a bench piece in the near future?

When the Mets called up Nick Morabito in May, they didn’t get the type of performance they were looking for. An 0 for 11 performance with a hit by pitch to give him an actual OBP, Morabito was overmatched. He struck out 9 times. In the post-trade deadline phase of the 2026 Mets, it’s a more complicated situation than calling him up.

The Mets probably should see what Nick Morabito can give them, but where is the playing time going to come from?

Morabito is a natural to take over the Tyrone Taylor role. Taylor is someone the Mets should have on the trade block with his contract set to expire. With a limited expected return, it’s important to vacate that roster spot even if the main purpose is to allow someone other than Morabito to get playing time.

A speedster with good defensive skills, Morabito has hit .265/.366/.409 this year in Triple-A. He found his power, smashing 9 home runs with a previous season-high of 6 from last year. A threat on the base paths, he has stolen 28 bags in 30 tries.

To help matters even more, he’s a right-handed hitter. There couldn’t be a more appropriate switch from Taylor to Morabito. The thing is, how often would he even get into games?

The Mets seem unlikely to trade too many position players. Along with Taylor, dumping Luis Robert Jr. somewhere is appropriate. This does little to provide Morabito with an outlet for regular playing time. A.J. Ewing could always get more time at second base, but that’s also dependent on the health of Marcus Semien. There’s no reason to force Semien into the lineup every day. Still, the Mets aren’t going to have more than two or three games a week when Morabito can accumulate regular playing time.

A counterargument makes sense, too. Why have Morabito stick in Triple-A when what’s best is to have the level of competition raised? He wasn’t ready in May. Suffering through a .200 batting average performance in the final two months is the perfect time for him to learn and the Mets to get a better idea of where his abilities lie.

Morabito isn’t going to win a starting outfield job yet he profiles perfectly for the type of fourth/fifth outfielder David Stearns adores. A potential offseason trade chip, the danger of letting him struggle in the majors is it limits his trade value.

Prone to striking out a lot without the necessary power to explain it away, Morabito is under construction and could probably use as many at-bats as he can. When the Triple-A season ends, he could always join the club for the final weeks of the season. September roster expansion should give the Mets a little more leeway to interchange several young players.

A very likely scenario for the Mets is Morabito does get to the majors again this year and struggles. Filling in the Taylor role with a cheap veteran in the offseason seems very Stearnsian. Morabito waiting in the minors again, a year older and more experienced, would have a louder knock to alert them that he’s ready.

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