3 questions the NY Mets can ask to make a decision on their non-tender candidates

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One of the first phases of the MLB offseason involves the decision by the front office to tender players who are arbitration eligible to a new deal or not. The New York Mets have a long list of players who fall into this category from Pete Alonso down to Sam Coonrod.

Some are obvious keepers. Others are debatable and require the team to answer a few questions.

What can the player bring to the team in 2024?

The most obvious question to ask is about talent. What can each player bring to the team in 2024? If there's any belief they can be an asset, allow them to move into the next round. Those who don't seem to fit the scheme any longer should be eliminated quickly.

This isn't always the first question a front office will ask when it comes to roster building. Because they can carry only 40 players at a time, ability sometimes falls behind things such as how much a player will earn or questions about their health. Someone like Elieser Hernandez might be one of whose health in 2023 has the Mets thinking twice about inviting him back.

In terms of talent, Alonso is the lone player with enough of it to guarantee an offer. His projected $22 million is far and away the most of any arbitration eligible player on the roster.

None of the projected arbitration salaries appear to be outlandishly expensive. Behind Alonso, who should have an extension by the way, we find Daniel Vogelbach at $2.6 million. Everyone else is less. We’re fortunate to have an owner who won’t pinch pennies over paying Joey Lucchesi $200K more than the projected total if that’s what it takes to keep him.

Does the player have minor league options left?

This is huge. When a player is no longer eligible for a demotion without having to clear waivers, the team might simply decide to take the opportunity to non-tender him in the offseason. The difference is having to pay a player regardless of their situation for the whole year or escape in the offseason before a commitment has been made. It doesn’t matter how much you love your spouse. No union is as strong as the Major League Baseball Players Association.

The Mets have several players who fall into this category. Tim Locastro and Rafael Ortega are two of the most obvious out of options currently on the major league roster. How realistic is it that the Mets will carry either on the Opening Day roster next season? Locastro was lucky enough to make it last year. Don't expect it again.

Notably, DJ Stewart does have an option remaining. This should guarantee him a spot on the 40-man roster. He’ll be in competition for a major league roster spot, but the ability to send him down is valuable. The Mets won’t have the same luxury with Luis Guillorme anymore.

Catcher Michael Perez seems like a goner due to his lack of minor league options left. Bringing him back could make some sense, however, any promotion will now result in a DFA rather than a demotion.

This is where the game of chess begins. The Mets bullpen is filled with non-arbitration players who lack options. Phil Bickford, Anthony Kay, Denyi Reyes, and others fall into this space. They’re in a much different conversation. Frankly, it seems automatic that the Mets will release each from their current deal. Don’t rule out a reunion for a fresh minor league deal.

Are there better options not on the 40-man roster?

Before completely scoping out what else is available, the Mets should look inward. Find their third eye, fall into child's pose, and take a look around to see if there are better options not on the 40-man roster to replace ones who are.

Out of necessity, the Mets will have already added players to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft. The decision to tender players or not and who they choose to add to their protected list are connected.

Once those selections are out of the way, the Mets can start thinking about the external upgrades.

The Mets are currently in a position where their best prospects aren’t quite MLB-ready. Some might be better choices for the 2024 season than players currently on the 40-man roster and arbitration eligible. There aren’t any true standouts at the moment.

This year’s group of arbitration eligible Mets players look like they’ll be eliminated either due to a lack of talent or minor league options. Two of more impactful ones, Trevor Gott and Daniel Vogelbach, aren’t good enough for the Mets to keep but a justification can be made. Vogelbach’s issue is more obvious in that he doesn’t play the field whereas Gott can at least get outs—maybe not as frequently as we’d like.

The final two months of the season included a lot of names we won’t see return in 2024. We’ll see multiple roster purges as the front office begins with some of those easier decisions after answering the above questions.

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