Former Mets prospect among the list of 30 intriguing Rule 5 Draft options

Want to revisit the past? You can buy a DeLorean and drive really fast. There are some towns in the Midwest that haven’t aged since 1992 and make a pretty good profit off of it from visiting tourists. New York Mets fans aren’t so eager to go back in time. It’s the movement forward we’re far more intrigued by.

As part of next week’s Winter Meetings, teams will have a chance to select some pieces in the Rule 5 Draft. A minor risk for clubs looking to fill out their roster with cast-offs from elsewhere on the cheap, one former Mets prospect made it onto a list of intriguing prospects available.

Remember J.T. Ginn? A prospect so highly-regarded he actually went from being the 30th overall selection in 2018 to a second round pick by the Mets in 2020, Ginn has yet to break free as a professional pitcher. Injuries have been the biggest hurdle. Could a team actually take a chance on him in their 2024 bullpen?

Former Mets prospect J.T. Ginn might be intriguing, but he’s nowhere near MLB-ready

Ginn left the Mets in the Chris Bassitt trade. Easily the best in the Steve Cohen era thus far, Ginn has made it as high as Double-A. At 24-years-old last season, he was still on track to make the majors at a reasonable age. The problem is that Ginn has now made 16 starts in Double-A and has a 6.87 ERA.

The suggestion of selecting Ginn in the Rule 5 Draft is more about stashing him in the bullpen. A graduate of Tommy John Surgery, it’s a way of limiting his innings and seeing if maybe this once-promising young arm can figure it all out. The Oakland Athletics weren’t interested in protecting him. And for good reason. Teams would be insane to use a roster spot for 162 games on him.

This list does include one prospect from every team. The choice for the Mets was a piece they acquired in a trade. Coleman Crow, brought over in the Eduardo Escobar deal, actually is at risk of getting selected. Season-ending Tommy John Surgery cost him most of 2023. He has yet to pitch an inning for the Mets organization. A team could take him in the Rule 5 Draft and ease him back onto the field. It’s most certainly what Billy Eppler would do. What’s going on with the case of the phantom injuries anyway?

Because of how empty the Mets bullpen is, the team should look to secure at least one reliever in the Rule 5 Draft. A reunion with Ginn is out of the question. Visit Bisbee, Woodstock, or Telluride if you’re looking for nostalgia.