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Recent NY Mets roster cut might’ve been premature and the wrong player to discharge

It's understandable and yet he felt like a worthwhile piece to keep stashed on the farm.
ByTim Boyle
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Jul 4, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Mets designated hitter Eric Wagaman (39) hits a single against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Colin Hubbard-Imagn Images
Jul 4, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Mets designated hitter Eric Wagaman (39) hits a single against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Colin Hubbard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

An abundance of roster moves due to certain deadlines have already or will take place in November. The New York Mets had to make several changes to get their roster down to 40. They’ll have more choices ahead as they add players to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft.

One recent casualty to see himself executed from the 40-man roster was Eric Wagaman. Appearing in 26 games and receiving 52 plate appearances for the Mets this past year, the right-handed hitting first baseman/sometimes other positions hit only .191/.269/.319 for the big league club. He did very little to satisfy the club’s need for a right-handed bat in a part-time role. But certain circumstances suggest that maybe it was premature to quietly DFA him and then allow him to hit free agency.

Wagaman had minor league options remaining and after a .250/.296/.378 slash line from the year prior plus a .285/.358/.454 result in Triple-A, we can wonder if maybe this depth piece would have been worth keeping around a little while longer. After all, Christopher Morel can’t possibly be on the team next year, can he?

Did Eric Wagaman have more to offer the Mets?

Wagaman was 0 for 9 against righties while hitting .239/.326/.395 overall against lefties this past season. In 2025 with the Miami Marlins, Wagaman was even better with predictable splits. He hit .283/.321/.462 against left-handed pitching. It’s not Cooperstown worthy and yet perfectly fine for the role he would have had: minor league depth masher of lefties.

It’s essentially the role of Morel and Mark Vientos. No one should expect either to be back. Both of them can’t be optioned to the minors without passing through waivers. Vientos might not. His breakout 2024 campaign remains that one detail making it hard to throw him out with yesterday’s trash.

The 40-man roster is now completely full with a heavy load of pitchers currently on it. Third-string catcher Hayden Senger and Ronny Mauricio, also out of options, are two more who make up a shallow depth of position players. Minor league position player depth is one of those things you kind of guess at. For every Jose Iglesias, you cycle through Tommy Pham, Austin Slater, and eventually Wagaman for the same exact role.

No, letting Wagaman walk away was no major mistake by the Mets nor is it one of those moments they’ll come to rue. It is curious, though, how Morel with his inferior numbers and lack of minor league options can continue to linger while Wagaman is shown the door. The Mets will inevitably find other players fitting this profile. It was a constant, never-ending search in the early part of the 2026 season.

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