3 Mets players who should be nervous about joining Aaron Hicks in the DFA pile

2) NY Mets infielder Eduardo Escobar could join Aaron Hicks in the DFA pile

A little heavier of a payday, Eduardo Escobar is another veteran in danger of losing his job. His salary is at $9.5 million this season. It’s pocket change for Steve Cohen.

A few factors may have Escobar lingering a little longer. Although the switch hitting infielder is batting only .215/.267/.418 and has received less playing time than Pham with 3 fewer plate appearances, Escobar is arguably a more useful defender albeit not any better. The ability to play all over the infield is something the Mets could use. Even if his bat can repeat what it did last year, a spot on the bench makes sense for Escobar.

His popularity in the clubhouse could be a more minor factor. Of course, if Escobar shows he is completely incapable of offering the team anything, it doesn’t matter if he’s class president. The Mets need to make baseball decisions and how much his teammates like him shouldn’t matter at all.

Escobar’s play has actually improved since his playing time declined. He is getting into games regularly as a pinch hitter when he doesn’t start. His batting average was .158 at the start of May and is now in a territory we can almost accept for a part-time player.

For now, Escobar’s roster spot is safe. A prolonged slump could change this.

3) NY Mets pitcher Carlos Carrasco could join Aaron Hicks in the DFA pile

Pitchers aren’t safe even if they do hide in the dugout most of the time. Carlos Carrasco actually has the highest salary of any of the players on this list, honorable or otherwise. The Mets are paying him $14 million this year. In 4 starts he’s 0-2 with an 8.68 ERA.

Health concerns aside, Carrasco hit hard and wild. He has 10 walks in 18.2 innings of work and only 11 strikeouts. We’ll need a few more innings out of him to have any strong opinion. However, with Tylor Megill pitching well and Jose Quintana expected back sometime this summer, Carrasco may quickly become the odd-man out.

The first move for Carrasco should land him in the bullpen. You can always use more arms there. If that fails, the Mets need to make the harsher decision to DFA him. We suffered through the 2021 season. He earned back some trust last year even though there were signs of a decline from his days in Cleveland.

Adding a more reliable starter to the rotation could be a priority for the Mets at this year’s trade deadline. Even if others step up and prove themselves worthy, there is some room for other moves. One could send Carrasco packing. The team cannot have too much patience with him.

Honorable mentions for a DFA include Daniel Vogelbach, Mark Canha, and Tomas Nido

Let’s talk about the three honorable mentions: Daniel Vogelbach, Mark Canha, and Tomas Nido. Their salaries vary greatly. Vogelbach and Nido barely make a dent in the payroll. Canha’s luxury tax hit is $13.25 million.

They make it into the honorable category because they aren’t in the same realm as the other three. Vogelbach is tradeable for a team and Nido is, too. Each could be one of those guys who is DFA’d and a deal is done before their release.

Canha, meanwhile, is a bit pricier and far more useful. Playing all three outfield positions and first base gives the Mets a variety of ways to use him. His first drop will need to be out of the starting lineup permanently. He’s not quite there despite a disappointing beginning to the year.

All three of these honorable mentions could end up in the unemployment line behind Aaron Hicks at some point but enough is working in their favor to keep a job.

Needless to say, the Mets have a couple of relief pitchers who could and probably will be DFA’d at some point. That’s baseball. Relievers know the waiver wire better than anyone. None of the guys on the Mets roster are making a whole lot of money so they’re not quite in the same conversation as these others.