Mets roster: 1 player to demote or release, 1 to trade, 1 to bench

Today’s baseball it’s not always easy to make changes to your team. Usually, this is done through a demotion/release, a trade, or benching a player to start someone else. While some of these options can be easier or more desirable than the others, none are ever easy and usually not very popular with the fans. Changes can be hard to understand. They often work out for the best when looking at the big picture. Other times they can turn out to be a disaster and end up costing a manager or a GM his job. I'll play general manager of the New York Mets and make some decisions in terms of who to demote or release, who to trade, and who to bench.

1 NY Mets player to demote or release

You may want to send a player to the minors and bring another one up to the big club. However, this can only be done a certain number of times for each player. These moves are called options. Once a player is out of options, he must first pass through waivers and be offered to every other team in major league baseball before he can be demoted. If he’s claimed, he’s gone.

While many players can quickly become fan favorites, sending a player to the minors is part of running a team. Unfortunately for him, that player on the Mets today is Tim Locastro. He is a fast runner who can steal a base, play a great defensive outfield, and can’t hit his weight. While these other talents are nice to have in a reserve outfielder, a team scrounging for runs like the Mets cannot afford to carry a player like this. In Locastro's two previous MLB seasons he hit only .188 and .180.

But there is one problem in this transaction. Locastro is out of options so before he can be sent to the minors he has to be put on waivers, where he will most likely be claimed. This will basically turn his demotion into a release. They already have Tommy Phan available as a backup outfielder, making Tim Locastro a luxury that they just cannot afford. Ultimately, the Mets need to get more offense from every bat on the roster.