3 Mets relievers not on the 40-man roster most likely to see big league action this year

Feb 26, 2023; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Tommy Hunter throws a pitch during
Feb 26, 2023; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Tommy Hunter throws a pitch during / Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
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Absence from the 40-man roster won’t have a negative effect on these three New York Mets pitchers. The odds are stacked against them making it there by the start of the year. At some point, things should change.

There are a couple of Spring Training battles going on for the three open bullpen spots. Only the pitchers currently on the 40-man roster are serious options. The non-roster invitees are there to make an impression for future consideration.

For one reason or another, these three Mets pitchers are not serious candidates to be on the 40-man roster by Opening Day. On a positive note, they should get there eventually and actually contribute in the big leagues.

1) NY Mets reliever Tommy Hunter is bound to see MLB action again this season

Selecting Tommy Hunter for the 40-man roster to start the season is a bad idea. Until the Mets are actually ready to call him up to the big leagues, he should stay in the minors. Keeping the 40-man roster open for other players is important. The Mets could be faced with lengthy or temporary injuries that will require a move. For instance, if the team needed to call up catcher Michael Perez due to a non-IL injury, they’d need to DFA a reliever in order to clear a spot for him.

Hunter re-signed with the Mets this offseason on a minor league deal. The benefit is something that immediately goes to waste for the ball club if they promote him prematurely. His lack of minor league options is also problematic. When the Mets do promote Hunter to the big league roster, they need to be sure he has a chance to stick around for a good stretch of time.

The situation was similar last year with Hunter making his MLB debut on June 19. He stuck around through the beginning of August until an injury sent him to the IL. When he returned to the mound on August 30, rosters were about to expand by two. Those extra spots allowed the Mets to safely add Hunter back while having enough optional relievers in case they ever needed someone else instead.

A similar plan should be in store for Hunter this year. Whether it’s June again or later, he’s someone the team should wait to promote. The moment they do lose one of the righties without options for a long period of time would be the moment to not hesitate.

2) NY Mets reliever T.J. McFarland is one of the most experienced lefties the organization has

T.J. McFarland is an unexciting 33-year-old lefty. He’s coming off of a miserable year with the St. Louis Cardinals featuring a 6.61 ERA in 32.2 innings of work. Why would the Mets even bother? The year prior was much better. McFarland’s 2021 season included a 2.56 ERA performance in 38.2 innings of work.

McFarland is an incredibly low strikeout pitcher, averaging 5.3 per 9 over his 351 big league games. He pitches more to contact. Many times it has gotten the best of him.

Despite the poor numbers, his left arm and many years of pitching in the big leagues could make him a viable choice to call up if the team lost Brooks Raley or ever felt like they required the services of another southpaw reliever. McFarland has held lefties to a .260/.300/.384 slash line. Those totals aren’t spectacular, but they aren’t horrendous either.

Because he also doesn’t have minor league options left, McFarland would have to be DFA’d if the Mets ever wanted to go with someone else. He’s a little different from Hunter. Hunter is someone I’d think could get picked up on the waiver wire later in the year. McFarland has the potential to pass through. The Mets’ goodbye to him could end up as a “see ya later.” 

3) NY Mets reliever Grant Hartwig seems to make the most sense as a cup of coffee guy

Just about every season has the debut of some Mets reliever. Grant Hartwig is the guy I’m rooting for. Although there might not be any shocking revelations or a permanent spot in the team’s bullpen this year, Hartwig’s underdog status within the organization makes him someone easy to cheer for.

We’ve all been picked last in something. Kickball. High school dances. Best-looking at our self-employed companies we owned. Hartwig wasn’t exactly picked last in the draft. He wasn’t picked at all.

The now 25-year-old joined the Mets as an amateur free agent signing. His minor league numbers thus far have been eye-popping for a player with any path to professional baseball. He’s now 6-3 with a 1.98 ERA in 68.1 innings of work. Fanning an average of 12.5 batters per 9 while issuing free passes at a rate of 3.7 per 9, Hartwig has the stuff to become a late-inning weapon for the Mets in the near future.

All of his minor league options remain. Once he is added to the 40-man roster, we can expect him to stay put. Once there, he could join the cycle of relievers going back and forth from Queens to Syracuse. 

We shouldn’t expect this to be Hartwig’s coming out party. A couple of sips from the coffee mug is far more realistic and savory enough.

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