4 most obvious early season DFA candidates on the Mets roster

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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.