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

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.