4 most obvious early season DFA candidates on the Mets roster

The New York Mets season is underway and the 28-man roster is set to take forth on a journey this year to win it all. There weren’t too many surprises to make the team. It was a relatively easy decision to make from top to bottom.

However, the place on the big league team for four of their players could be short-lived. It’s not necessarily because any of them are bad. A baseball rule could get in the way.

For the 2022 Mets, there will be less patience with these four members of their roster. They are out of minor league options and their time on the club could be incredibly limited.

NY Mets DFA candidate Sean Reid-Foley

It’s only his second year with the Mets but it could be over sooner than expected. Sean Reid-Foley is out of minor league options which means if he doesn’t perform well enough early on this season he could be designated for assignment. This leads to a removal from the 40-man roster and a placement in waivers. He would have to pass through in order for the Mets to possibly send him to the minor leagues.

Reid-Foley has not accomplished enough for anyone to assume he would get snatched up on the waiver wire. Although a useful piece in a bullpen because of the length he can give, the Mets may quickly find him replaceable.

For sure, we know the Mets are going to have to eliminate to members from their Opening Day roster. Things will get cut down to 26 in a few weeks. Over this time period, someone like Reid-Foley will need to perform well whenever he gets the ball. Even then, with only Seth Lugo and Drew Smith in the bullpen with minor league options left, it may not be enough to save his job.

NY Mets DFA candidate Joely Rodriguez

Acquired from the New York Yankees in a trade for Miguel Castro, Joely Rodriguez will look to fill one of the lefty reliever roles on the staff. A rather underwhelming career up until this point, he is out of minor league options and a possible DFA candidate for the Mets early on this year.

Rodriguez joined the Mets with a lifetime 4.61 ERA in 95.2 innings of work. The 2021 season featured the most innings pitched of his career when he logged 46.1 of them. The only way he may be able to survive the season in the big leagues is if the Mets realize they have no better options out there.

A benefit in Rodriguez’s favor could be the fact that the team did give up Castro to get him. He didn’t just cost them money. He cost them an innings eater. If he pitches poorly, we should expect the Mets to show him an agonizing amount of patience. It’s unfortunate. It’s a business.

Over the course of a major league season, pitchers like Rodriguez tend to come and go very quickly. He may be with the team early on in 2022. However, there’s a very slim chance he stays for the length of the season. The Mets should be looking to upgrade their lefty reliever situation. And that leads into the other DFA candidate on the roster.

NY Mets DFA candidate Chasen Shreve

Chasen Shreve may have a better shot at staying with the Mets than Rodriguez simply because he has been a better pitcher in his career. While Rodriguez has been bouncing between the majors and minors, Shreve looks past that point in his career. He was good enough in 2020 and 2021 for the Mets to believe he can at least be suitable mid-innings reliever for them all year long.

This still won’t save Shreve from possibly getting designated for assignment. He has to pitch well. There is no excuse.

Shreve has been around the league long enough to have no more minor league options left on him. If the day does come where the Mets choose to DFA him, it’s likely he departs and looks for a major league job elsewhere. Lefties are always a hot commodity. It’s precisely why when you see a young child throwing with his right hand you insist he changes—correct?

Of all of the guys on this list, I have the most faith in Shreve lasting the full year with the Mets. He is far more likely to outperform Rodriguez. And even if the team does upgrade with a midseason addition, Shreve could simply get bumped to second in command for the left-handed reliever role. There is always room for two.