5 players who are definitely entering their final days with the NY Mets

5) DJ Stewart

DJ Stewart was a really good story for a month last season. This year, he was exhaustive from almost the start. A more athletic and useful version of Daniel Vogelbach, Stewart’s inability to hit regularly despite always being put in the best position to succeed frustrated fans. The Mets avoided putting him at the plate against lefties as much as possible. He never rewarded them for their trust. A brief period this year included a whole lot of walks. The Eddie Gaedel strategy of getting on base doesn’t work when teams realize you aren’t going to do much damage when they start throwing you strikes.

Stewart is out of minor league options beginning next year which erases one of the useful parts of what made him a player worthy of keeping. There is no reason why he should be on the Mets Opening Day roster next year. As a result, his only way to return would be after re-signing on a minor league contract.

Stewart is a non-tender candidate and also a guy who could get kept around through spring training for some protection. The Mets have made a habit of overbooking the roster in recent years. Darin Ruf was one of the last roster cuts in 2023. Phil Bickford had a similar path in 2024.

On the right team, Stewart isn’t a bad player to have on the bench. The Mets aren’t the right team for him.