2) Sean Reid-Foley
The Mets seem to really like Sean Reid-Foley. Even after designating him for assignment in the past, they brought him back all while knowing he was already injured. Reid-Foley made his way back onto the major league roster at the end of the 2023 season where he pitched much better. He could be in contention for an Opening Day roster spot in the bullpen. With the way this offseason is trending, affordable arms like him may make up a good portion of the relief corps.
Reid-Foley runs into the same problem as Short. His minor league options have been exhausted in the past. If the Mets want to have him stick around but not be in the major league bullpen, a DFA pink slip is required.
The fact that Stearns has kept him around this long has very little meaning. Not yet eligible for arbitration, he’s an arm to take a closer look at in the spring. The important thing for the Mets, if SRF does make the roster, is to build a bullpen around him with guys who can actually get sent to the minors. The exhaustive management of a bullpen without the luxury of demoting anyone will make the Mets more irrelevant faster than anyone wants to see.