5 Mets players who don’t deserve to be on the 40-man roster

3) Zach Greene is a Rule 5 Draft pick with the odds stacked against him

Rule 5 Draft picks never really deserve their spot on the 40-man roster in January. There’s a reason why their former club made them available. They just haven’t done enough to justify being a major league option. This is true for Zach Greene whom the Mets snagged from the New York Yankees in this offseason’s Rule 5 Draft.

At 26, Greene pitched last year exclusively at Triple-A where he was actually pretty good. A 9-0 record and 3.42 ERA highlighted his year. As the case often is with Rule 5 Draft picks, they’re in a battle to keep more than their 40-man roster spot. Unless he makes the Mets Opening Day roster, Greene will have to be returned to the Yankees.

Working against Greene is a lack of patience the Mets should have. This isn’t a ball club that should give chances to anyone undeserving. Greene will have to outperform quite a few more experienced arms in spring training in order to pass them on the depth chart. It’s a battle for two roster spots he’s undertaking. Even if the Mets view him ahead of someone like Saucedo, the question becomes whether or not he deserves to be on the big league team.

Let’s see if Greene can stun us all and earn his spot on more than just the 40-man roster.