3 under-the-radar NY Mets roster additions who could get MLB playing time in 2024

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There wasn’t a shortage of small roster moves made by the New York Mets this offseason. From waiver claims to minor league free agent signings, we’re already seeing a lot of those newcomers appear in spring training games for the club.

Many will be irrelevant. Some could even opt out of their deals before Opening Day and test the free agency waters again. Then there are those who’ll end up DFA’d by the Mets due to a lack of room on the 26-man roster.

Buried a little further down below well-known names such as Luke Voit, Jose Iglesias, and even Yacksel Rios are these three under-the-radar additions by the Mets who could earn a shot at some point this season.

1) Taylor Kohlwey

The personal favorite minor league addition of the offseason in my pale blue eyes is the one which brought the Mets outfielder Taylor Kohlwey. Signed to a minor league deal with two remaining minor league options, he can avoid becoming an immediate DFA candidate if he was to get called up to the majors. We can’t say the same for Trayce Thompson or Ben Gamel who’ll be more likely to end up on the waiver wire and possibly somewhere else.

The Triple-A numbers for Kohlwey have been impressive. Through 360 games he has hit .296/.387/.444. He’s not much of a power hitter but he has driven in 82 and 73 runs in his past two seasons on the farm. Decent speed as well, it’s a bit interesting why he hasn’t been given more of a chance in the majors. Five games last year with the San Diego Padres is all they’ve allowed him to get.

Kohlwey will be a 29-year-old rookie turning 30 in July this season. On the Mets, he’s a good option on a short-term basis for one of the corner outfield spots. More likely to find a spot on the bench than the actual starting lineup, what makes him most intriguing is the ability to keep him around beyond this coming year. If added to the 40-man roster at some point, they can keep him around for more outfield depth next season.

2) Rylan Bannon

Although Rylan Bannon doesn’t offer the Mets any roster flexibility at all with his minor league options all depleted, the utility infielder who has already bounced around quite a bit is interesting enough to include on this list. Just seven games at the MLB level under his belt and with three different organizations, Bannon’s positional versatility can make him an option for the Mets. Of course, competing alongside players such as Jose Iglesias and Yolmer Sanchez who are known for their defense can prove to be too much for Bannon to ever get to the majors.

Bannon spent last year with the Houston Astros in Triple-A with the exception of two games in the majors. He batted .241/.360/.449 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI. It’s about what he has done for the last several seasons in the upper minors. Good walk numbers show a plate discipline that helps somewhat mask a few too many strikeouts that aren’t leveled off with huge power totals.

How does he make the Mets roster? It’s probably going to need to take a huge year in Syracuse and maybe a couple of months. He’s a better second baseman than a third baseman so it’s not even all that likely he’d become a candidate for the hot corner.

Even so, the idea of the Mets stealing a minor leaguer away from the Astros (he was also once property of the Atlanta Braves) should have us hopelessly optimistic he’ll have a good enough year in Syracuse to warrant a promotion. Beyond 2024, there’s not much we can really expect from him unless he surprises us all. For this reason, let’s get our answer as to whether or not he can be a useful piece off the bench.

3) Kolton Ingram

One of the more recent Mets roster additions is Kolton Ingram. A waiver claim, the lefty reliever has the coveted minor league options missing from many of the players on the club’s 40-man roster. We don’t need to see him at all this season, but it would be nice to see if maybe the Mets snagged something special.

Ingram has only 5.1 innings of MLB experience. It didn’t go well. However, his impressive numbers in the minors should be enough for us to watch him closely.

Routinely closing games down on the farm, he’s one of the many high walk, high strikeout arms the Mets added this winter. He issued walks at a rate of 5 per 9 last year with a strikeout rate of 11.4 per 9. This came pitching in Double-A and Triple-A for the Los Angeles Angels.

Lefties with big strikeout numbers are a commodity in this world. The Mets were willing to take a chance on this one and wisely so. Competing alongside players like minor league addition Danny Young and Mets prospect Nate Lavender this season for a roster spot when the team wants/needs another southpaw, Ingram is a late-comer to the party we should keep a close eye on. Just like Kohlwey, he’s a candidate to remain with the team beyond just 2024.

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