3 Mets players in danger of losing their 40-man roster spot by June 1
![Miami Marlins v New York Mets](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3090,h_1738,x_0,y_162/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/3/01h0fga5d6t5gdm8hmq4.jpg)
May is already halfway over. Can you believe it? And the New York Mets have already gone through their weak spell. Could this mean a more promising June? We can only hope so.
By the time June 1 does arrive, however, the Mets could have a roster looking a lot different. These three players currently on the 40-man roster are at the most risk of losing their spot.
1) NY Mets will have no choice but to DFA Tim Locastro
Currently on a rehab assignment, outfielder Tim Locastro has become a much tougher player to keep on the active 26-man roster. The big problem here is that because he lacks minor league options, the Mets will have to DFA him in order to officially reactivate him from the IL. A setback during his rehab stint is one way around this, but I think these phantom injuries are much less common than many of us realize.
Is Locastro really going to pretend to be hurt just to stick around with the Mets when he could have the opportunity to play elsewhere? Everything other than the tinfoil on my head doubts it.
When Locastro was hurt, it was Brett Baty who replaced him on the active roster. The Mets aren’t going to demote Baty and replace him with Locastro. They’ve already practically handed over the starting third base job to him.
Unfortunately, this probably means Locastro is ousted before June 1. He might hang around. Other ball clubs may, however, have an open spot and look to claim him.
The fun of seeing him run around the bases may be over shortly before it even began. If it does happen, look for the Mets to try to reunite however they can.
2) NY Mets aren’t getting enough from Tommy Hunter to keep him
Tommy Hunter has essentially become the long man out of the bullpen for the Mets. Regularly going 2+ innings for them in mop-up situations, the ball club has some other more intriguing players they can hand those innings over to. Stephen Nogosek, for instance, is having an arguably better year than Hunter. Age alone could give him an advantage. The Mets can always find another nearly 37-year-old reliever like Hunter. A 28-year-old like Nogosek is tougher to find.
Hunter definitely does seem to enjoy playing for the Mets. After he was traded away in the middle of 2021 for Rich Hill, he returned and has continued to stay with the organization. This won’t protect him from the waiver wire. A smaller salary makes him a potential target of other ball clubs looking for whatever it is he can deliver even if it’s just to eat innings in a blowout.
There is a role for Hunter on the Mets roster. The problem right now is that they need to leave their options open for other improvements. A strong finish to the month and maybe an injury or two to other bullpen arms can help Hunter stay.
It is still hard to imagine him surviving the full season on the Mets roster. Perhaps the most likely scenario is an injury. He has had plenty in his tenure with the ball club.
3) NY Mets need to see more from Dominic Leone to justify his stay
Picked up this month, Dominic Leone has the potential to stick around for a while. He had some good years recently. His best was in 2021 when he was 4-5 with a 1.51 ERA out of the bullpen for the San Francisco Giants. His 2023 sample size is too small to make any immediate judgment.
Leone is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA in 5.2 innings of work for the Mets. He took the loss in Game 1 on Sunday against the Washington Nationals. Nothing about his performance has been particularly captivating. He does throw strikes but isn’t striking guys out.
Leone has yet to appear in a win for the Mets. All five of his appearances were in the sixth inning or later in a loss for this team. He hasn’t struck anyone out over the last three appearances and as little as numbers like that have to do with deciding to keep or cut him, it could be a sign of some trouble ahead.
The one advantage Tommy Hunter may have over Leone is the ability to throw multiple innings. We did see Leone get through two frames in Sunday’s loss which definitely helped save the bullpen a little bit. Between Hunter and Stephen Nogosek, there are enough shaky relievers already on the roster who can do what Leone has so far.
manual