NY Mets depth chart: 3 players who've moved down in December

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The lack of actual games being played hasn't stopped some returning New York Mets players from dropping down the depth chart. As new players enter, the holdovers from last season will see themselves become more irrelevant at least on paper.

Specifically in one fell swoop, the Mets knocked three players down the depth chart. The presence of Adrian Houser and Tyrone Taylor have these three looking up at a roster spot that once looked like it belonged to them.

1) Tylor Megill

Houser has taken over the role Tylor Megill could have had. Both righties can be viewed as fifth starters. The Mets have a couple of those. Houser and Megill sharing the same handedness only adds to how much further back the latter now finds himself.

Megill's exact placement in the 2024 plans was never clear. The early assumption to make was he'd either win a fifth starter job, begin the year in the minors, or move to the bullpen. The Mets haven't shown any signs of making him a permanent reliever. With this in mind, Megill is most likely headed for Syracuse to begin the year if the team can keep its rotation healthy. Luckily for Megill, it takes far more than five starters to get through a season.

Zero remaining minor league options for Houser makes him a guarantee to begin the year with the big league club. Megill, whom the Mets can demote without having to DFA, seems destined for a minor league sentence to begin the season. A rotation featuring both Houser and Megill to begin the year isn’t happening unless bodies are stacking up on the IL.

2) Joey Lucchesi

Joey Lucchesi is in a similar spot as Megill and even David Peterson who'll be out at the beginning of the year. Tommy John Surgery threw a nasty churve Lucchesi's way back in 2021. He has been attempting to make a full comeback for two straight seasons now. While good at times, he hasn’t stuck around in the majors.

Another one of the stack of starting pitcher depth pieces, the fact that he throws left-handed separates him slightly from Houser and Megill. Still, the option to demote him but not with Houser makes him depth and not a serious contender for an actual Opening Day spot.

This puts Lucchesi on-call alongside Megill. The new front office and manager won't have an immediate favorite. What they do in the spring can give a first impression that will last.

Ultimately it's how they perform in the regular season that will determine if they can move up again. Houser, in the final year of his deal, isn’t above getting released if disaster strikes. We should prepare for any of these players to find themselves moved to the bullpen, too. Throughout Stearns’ tenure with the Milwaukee Brewers, pitchers like Houser frequently worked as a starter and reliever. By the end of 2024, we could see a couple of these guys with a dozen starts and another 20 relief appearances.

For now, move Houser ahead of Lucchesi on the depth chart. The lefty will need to win back his spot.

3) DJ Stewart

DJ Stewart was already fighting a battle to be on the MLB roster to open the 2024 season. The addition of Taylor likely means Stewart will join Megill and Lucchesi on a flight to Syracuse.

The Mets currently have room for Stewart, however, one addition to the bench or starting lineup changes this. Will they really proceed with a bench containing Taylor and Stewart? Unless the Mets choose to make one of them a starter, which we should hope they don't, the team will probably need to stash Stewart on the farm.

Just like Houser, Taylor's minor league options have been depleted. A much different style of player than Stewart, if all things were equal we could still assume Taylor would take precedence. He's a new acquisition. He also is a superior defensive player. This fits well on a team's bench where the defense of the starting outfielders is questionable.

Stewart’s impressive August followed by a meek September didn’t fool anyone. We’ll be rooting for him to turn into a guy the Mets can rely on for years. Our heads tell us it’s probably not something you want to put a wager on.

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