3 Mets DFA candidates who could lose their 40-man roster spot before Opening Day

Sep 14, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Jake Reed (72) throws
Sep 14, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Jake Reed (72) throws | Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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May 23, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jordan Yamamoto (45) delivers a | Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

NY Mets might have seen enough from Jordan Yamamoto and choose to DFA him

Jordan Yamamoto didn’t get to pitch much for the Mets last year due to an injury. When he did get promoted, he logged only 6.2 innings for them. Down in the minors with Syracuse and a few innings in rehab, he logged 32.2 innings of work.

Yamamoto hasn’t had an exceptionally productive major league career in the limited time he has had in the show. His short-lived time with the Miami Marlins wasn’t that great. While he won’t turn 26 until May, it’s beginning to become clear that he is best utilized as depth and not much else.

Working in Yamamoto’s favor could be the fact that the Mets traded for him. Reed was a waiver claim. Yamamoto cost the Mets a player. They are a little more invested in him. Plus, with the ability to start, he is also a bit more valuable.

Working against Yamamoto could be a numbers crunch even at the Triple-A level. Jose Butto, Tylor Megill, and David Peterson should all have rotation spots there. So could a guy like Josh Walker or Connor Grey. The Mets don’t have an exceptional number of starting pitching prospects knocking on the door but they do have a couple of contenders to begin the year in Syracuse.

Yamamoto isn’t going to start games for the Mets unless they have no other option. He could work as a long man out of the bullpen, but the team has other guys to fill this role.

Will the Mets move on from Yamamoto after a single season? A limit of 40 men on their roster could indeed force them to.

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