3 Mets players who could lose their roster spot when these teammates return from the IL
These three Mets could be a different kind of casualty when their injured teammates return from the IL.
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What if members of the New York Mets injured list suddenly drank a potion and was ready to come back? The Mets would have some roster decisions to make beyond sending guys to the minors to freshen up a little further from their rehab.
The Mets haven’t been held down by injuries this year which is a major reason why they’ve been able to stay alive. With all of the negative feelings about this roster, much of it came from the belief they’d be working with second-stringers early on. While they haven’t completely avoided the injury bug, it hasn’t been the reason they’re doing the chasing in the NL East and not the other way around.
So what happens when the walking wounded come back? If it happened today, these three Mets would be off the 26-man roster.
1) Omar Narvaez would be off the Mets roster if Francisco Alvarez came back
This is a big one. Omar Narvaez wasn’t dumped in a trade this offseason nor was he designated for assignment. The Mets gave him another shot to prove himself. Frankly, we’ve all seen enough to realize he doesn’t have a place on this roster when Francisco Alvarez returns.
It’s not even the lack of offensive production putting Narvaez in the doghouse most. A complete inability to throw out base runners has made him unplayable. Teams merely need to get on base and run amuck to beat the Mets. Seeing Narvaez behind the plate creates way too much chaos on the bases and puts the Mets at a disadvantage.
Alvarez will, of course, need to figure out a way to gun down a few base runners upon his return. In the meantime, Tomas Nido has proven he deserves to be the backup.
2) Adrian Houser would be off the Mets roster if Kodai Senga came back
Although not a direct replacement right now, the return of Kodai Senga could mark the end of Adrian Houser’s time with the Mets. Already demoted to the bullpen from the rotation, the performance of younger guys like Christian Scott, Jose Butto, and the pairing of Tylor Megill and David Peterson returning from the IL will give the team plenty to consider.
Houser isn’t a bad option to have around in the bullpen. As a long man the team can use to eat up innings, he’s just about perfect. There’s room to grow into the role and actually be pretty useful.
The Mets run into a few problems when trying to stash an inferior player. Their bullpen doesn’t have much roster flexibility. For the sake of having the ability to carry fresh arms, they may need to cut Houser loose sooner than they ever expected.
The good news is someone might take a shot on him and they could actually trade him away. Even if all it leads to is some salary relief, it’s not such a bad thing. A little more payroll wiggle room could allow them to get adventurous at the trade deadline—if they don’t sink themselves first.
3) Yohan Ramirez would be off the roster if Drew Smith came back
Soon to happen anyway, the Mets should have Drew Smith back in their bullpen and a roster decision to make. Reed Garrett is their only reliever with options and he isn’t going anywhere. This means goodbye to Yohan Ramirez—we hardly knew ye, again.
The Mets curiously picked up Ramirez for a second time in the most Michael Tonkin-esque of moves. Traded away then claimed again off waivers, this was always meant to be a temporary option.
The purpose of this could be two-fold. One is to save innings from other relievers. The other is to possibly hope Ramirez could pass through waivers and end up stashed in the minor leagues. David Stearns can’t quit him. If there was a situation to arise later on this year, perhaps they’d add him back to the 40-man roster.
Smith should be the first of these Mets players on the IL to come back. His rehab is already underway. While guys like Tylor Megill and David Peterson could conceivably replace Christian Scott or Jose Butto in the rotation, the pair could always get optioned to the minors. Smith would go directly to the MLB roster. To make room, the only choice is to bump out Ramirez again. Nobody else has been as bad for them in relief.
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