3 Mets DFA candidates who might not pass through waivers, 2 who most likely would

Roster cuts are bound to happen for the New York Mets before Opening Day. They have more than 26 guys on their 40-man roster without options which will result in some casualties.

Those tough looming decisions will be based on health and performance as well as how likely some players are to pass through waivers or not. Some of the same reasons why the Mets might DFA a player apply to other teams. Using this plus the structure of the rest of the team will help determine who they do or do not carry on the roster to open the year.

These five DFA candidates are split into two groups. One includes players who look more likely to pass through waivers than the others. 

Phil Bickford might not pass through waivers

There remains a chance Phil Bickford is designated for assignment before Opening Day. They took him to arbitration over $80K which seems preposterous for someone in his position. In either case, he has made it this far and his future remains uncertain. A DFA followed by a trade for cash considerations is a likely outcome because some other team will probably think highly enough of Bickford to have him in the back of their bullpen.

Bickford has only the 2021 season on his resume glowing with positivity. In particular, it was his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers and not the 2 earned runs he gave up in one frame with the Milwaukee Brewers. Bickford tossed 50.1 innings for the Dodgers and turned in a 2.50 ERA that year. He jumped back up to 4.72 in 2022 and his total combined with the Mets in 2023 came out to 4.95.

We saw two different versions of Bickford in his two months with the Mets in 2023. In August, he was 1-1 with a 7.36 ERA. In September/October, Bickford went 2-1 with a 0.84 ERA.

At 28-years-old, some team may think they can get him on the right path. A more patient ball club, or at least a more desperate one, might be a better fit.

Yohan Ramirez might not pass through waivers

Could the Mets actually get rid of Yohan Ramirez before he pitches in a regular season game for them? Acquired in the offseason in exchange for cash considerations from the Chicago White Sox, his 3.99 ERA in 124 innings isn’t hugely impressive and yet it crosses below the invisible 4.00 boundary of being mediocre to good.

Ramirez has had some solid seasons. ERAs of 3.90, 3.67, and last year’s 4.23 are good enough to make him a consideration for the Mets Opening Day roster. The trouble they run into is whether or not there’s actually any room for him.

Like so many journeymen relievers who end up DFA’d multiple times, control has been a problem. An average of 5 walks per 9 is one of his wounds. A 1.34 WHIP and 5.04 FIP suggests his ERA is far from sustainable.

As poor as some of those numbers are, Ramirez has a lot more intrigue than some of the other players in his position. For those same reasons the Mets traded for him this offseason, others would look to see if he might have another level to reach.

Maybe most enticing is Ramirez’s sudden increase in ground ball percentage. He saw it shoot up to 59.3% last year with a hard-hit percentage of only 31.9%. Those positive signs had already begun to show when he first joined the Pittsburgh Pirates in mid-2022.

Zack Short could pass through waivers

Your guess is as good as mine as to why the Mets have kept Zack Short on the 40-man roster this long. It likely has something to do with protecting themselves in case of an injury to Joey Wendle. Short’s track record doesn’t prove he’s a major leaguer. With a .174/.266/.308 slash line through 450 plate appearances on top of a minor league career where his numbers have gotten increasingly lower in Triple-A, there isn’t a whole lot to get excited for.

The Mets picked Short off of waivers from the Detroit Tigers early on in the offseason. His survival is because of his positional versatility. He can play all over the infield, a role the Mets signed Wendle for and don’t have an especially promising safety net.

On offense, we’d have to expect very little from him. Along with not getting very many hits, he’s a strikeout waiting to happen. Strike three has been called in 28.9% of his career plate appearances in MLB. It hasn’t been any better in the minor leagues.

Short would be someone who might pass through waivers. He just doesn’t offer enough in overall ability or one particularly skillset. His defense rates well, but at the cost of putting up a batting average that will at best pay homage to the days when pitchers hit, one would have to believe most teams have better options in Triple-A.

Max Kranick might not pass through waivers

Max Kranick has suddenly become a lot more valuable for the Mets with Kodai Senga out. His ability to win an Opening Day roster spot is now realistic although he should fall in line as the least likely of the starters competing for a role. There’s a possibility the Mets always carry him in the bullpen as a long man with the ability to turn to him for the occasional spot start. How he does this spring will go a long way toward determining if he’s DFA’d or stays.

Kranick is another guy like Short whose minor league options have been used up, therefore, he’s either going to open the season with the Mets or must pass through waivers to remain. The story of him growing up as a Mets fan brings up the personal aspect of any future decisions he may make. If he did pass through waivers, one would have to believe he’d be happy to stay for a future shot with the team he grew up rooting for.

Other teams could use Kranick similarly as a long man and spot starter. He probably isn’t going to have too many opportunities to outright win a starting rotation gig in too many places. Outside of injury, he’ll spend most of the 2024 season proving himself.

The 2022 Tommy John Surgery graduate is only 26 and a project plenty of teams might not mind working with. The length he could potentially give, even in mop-up duty routinely this year, makes him a guy the Mets will be cautious about DFA’ing if they truly are interested in keeping him over some of the others on this list. His solid debut on Monday is the first step toward making the team.