3 overreactions from the first Mets spring training game that could become a reality

2) The Mets should DFA Josh Walker and Reed Garrett

Things didn’t go so smoothly for all of the Mets pitchers. Two names currently on the 40-man roster who didn’t have a good day were Josh Walker and Reed Garrett. 

Walker entered in the fourth after Hunter Parsons already let things get out of hand. It was a messy inning for Walker. Walks, balks, errors, and rusty defense all contributed to an innings where 4 unearned runs crossed the plate.

Garrett wasn’t much better. He, too, got a little wild. A pair of unearned runs would score against him. By this point the game truly felt like spring training. It had become background noise for most fans.

The overreaction here is to simply get rid of the pair. Why are Walker and Garrett even on this team after all? Neither was particularly impressive last year. 

The Mets have likely decided to carry this pair along in the offseason because they’re two of the relievers they have with minor league options. Sometimes this can help safeguard a pitch from a DFA. However, if they continue to have such miserable springs, players like Lavender who do get outs should become serious candidates to take their roster spots.

One bad debut in February isn’t going to cost someone their job. But with only a handful of innings available in games and a resume that doesn’t glow, this overreaction has a chance to become true.