Mets DH insurance policy likely to include 2 "buy low" options

The New York Mets look like they’ll carry both Ji-Man Choi and Luke Voit on their Triple-A roster this year. We got to know Voit and his muscles last year where he spent a good chunk of time with the Syracuse Mets. Seeing the uncertainty of the Mets’ DH situation or perhaps he just fell in love with the city or didn’t have too many other opportunities, Voit is expected to return to the Mets.

The Mets never did give Voit an opportunity in the big leagues last year and that falls partly on him. He opted out of his deal on August 3 when those at-bats may have finally come calling.

It’s an agreeable yet frustrating move to have him and Choi in the minors as the club’s DH insurance. Voit’s claim to fame is leading the league with 22 home runs in the shortened 2020 season. He hasn’t done much since aside from the occasional viral video of him moving a ton of iron.

What should we make of the Mets adding all of this DH insurance?

The Mets have been incredibly honest with the fans. Dating back to last summer when they had to clarify the upcoming offseason plans, it’s refreshing how they have indeed delivered on the promises. We knew this wasn’t going to be a spectacular winter with lots of money thrown around—at least in terms of overall contract value. The Mets still spent a lot, just not on any long-term deals.

David Stearns has continued to say the same and was candid in relaying how he expects Pete Alonso to get to free agency. In a catch-22 situation, the Mets have chosen honesty. They’ve remained consistent with their thoughts on the DH spot, anointing Mark Vientos as the favorite for the role with DJ Stewart and Starling Marte’s names in the hat as well.

It’s impossible to feel any sense of excitement over Choi or Voit. Neither of them had good years in 2023. Both in or approaching their mid-30s depending upon how you define mid-30s (it’s about the time when your back starts hurting for no reason), there’s little chance of them being much more than filler.

The Mets have reached the stage of stockpiling their minor league rosters with experience. They took a break from it for a while to spend a week filling out the bullpen. Now they’re back to looking at the bargain bin for whatever catches their eye.

Additions of Choi and Voit don’t say much about how much they believe in guys like Vientos and Stewart. They’re simply early-season options to turn to as to not rush any of the prospects to the major leagues too quickly.

So what’ll happen with these two? We might see someone get hurt and the Mets call up Choi or Voit instead of a hot-hitting Drew Gilbert. Expect an immediate negative reaction from the fans as a result. The 2024 season is a placeholder for the future.