Mets Roster Central 2026 at Grand Central

[Edgy MD]

When the dust settled on the Mets doubleheader sweep at the hands of The Colorado Rockies, the heightened emotion of fan frustration and anger was cut by the tension of a morbid watch.  Few expected that all the players and coaches that filed into the clubhouse after the debacle would be coming out still employed by the Mets.  With a 48-hour turnaround to the next game and the barely warm body of an unsuccessful and unrelateable Mets team laying on something like rock bottom with arms askew, seasoned team-watchers new that this was the sort of environment that changes take place in.

Few of those watchers were predicting a Tommy Pham-for-Austin Salter exchange, but baseball is full of surprises.

But first, a look back.

Transactions, 3/17/2026

COMING

Resigned to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to St. Lucie

Outfielder

Sam Billler

L/L DoB: 2002-07-07 High Level: A (2025)

UCONN outfielder Sam Biller appeared in only six minor-league games after joining the Mets as an undrafted free agent, so one imagines he was more than a little bitter after getting cashiered last November.  So imagine his surprise to wake up on St. Patrick's Day with news from his agent that the Mets wanted him back!

No doubt the Mets were moved by Sam's really impressive facial hair density and the testosterone production that implied, but Sam has made the most of his second chance with St. Lucie, putting up a .359 / .457 / .436 // .892 line in his first 46 appearances back with St. Loo.  Look for his rich and rough whiskers to be making an appearance with Brooklyn sometime soon

Transactions, 3/27/2026

GOING

Signed away by WAS to Minor-League Contract

Relief Pitcher

Jonah Conradt

R/R DoB: 2004-11-02 High Level: NECL (2024)

Sam Biller was positively overindulged compared to fellow undrafted 2025 signee Jonah Conradt.  Jonah, despite his name anagramming to Johan, was signed on August 4, released on November 13, and did not take the mound for the Mets a single time.

His results so far for the Nats' system gives a hint perhaps as to why, but still, we wish him the best.  Say hi to our old friend Dicky Lovelady while you're bringing it for the Nats, Jonah.

Transactions, 4/11/2026

GOING

Signed away by MIN to Minor-League Contract

Starting Pitchers

Aaron Rozek

L/L DoB: 1995-08-20 High Level: AAA (2025)

Aaron Rozek didn't join affiliated baseball with the Twins until he was 25.  He put together a decent enough career for five years there, but didn't get a sniff of an MLB callup before the Mets took him in the minor-league phase of the 2025 Rule V draft.

This will hardly surprise you, because it is getting to be a theme, but Adam was released without appearing in a single game, and is now back in the Twins system, of all places.

So, we're starting to get the idea that the Mets scouting department and development department aren't always on the same page.

Which brings us up to today. 

Transactions, 4/27/2026

GOING	GOING	COMING	COMING
Demoted to Syracuse	Designated for Assignment	Claimed off Waivers from MIN, Demoted to Syracuse	Signed away from MIA
Relief Pitchers	Outfielders	Infielders	Outfielders
Austin Warren	Tommy Pham	Eric Wagaman	Austin Slater
R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1988-03-08 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1997-08-14 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1992-12-13 High Level: MLB (2026)

As first reported yesterday, but made official, today, the Mets have given Tommy Pham something of a heave-ho following  yesterday's double-header.  While the theme if not the exact numbers of Pham's 0-for-13 showing in his second go-around with the Mets was predictable for many, one would be advised against placing too much of the blame squarely on Pham.  Tommy wasn't signed until March 26 (aka Opening Day) and with no training camp to speak of, got only five games in A-ball to prepare for his season.

Thus, it is perhaps a good time to return to Gary Cohen's declaration that Tommy could fall out of bed on January 1 and hit.  That proposition has been tested and failed.

Mets Roster Central does not see that as a recipe for success, no matter what profile or pedigree a guy brings with him.  Maybe Pham smooths out some of his edges in AAA, and gets the spring training he never got back in Florida, or maybe the end of the line has come.

The profile of the two new guys joining the organization — one at the big-league level and one in Syracuse — is more J.D. Davis than Tommy Pham.  Each are strong righthanded guys who back up at all the corner positions, and in a pinch, can fake it in the middle of the diamond too.

Austin (who, yes, rocks the evergreen nickname of AC) has more of J.D.'s punch, and so joins the MLB roster.  He had some strong seasons in mixed roles for Giants from 2020-2023, but has been floating from team to team on the DFA train the last two years.  Wagaman, well, is probably a great teammate, because while his long minor-league career is marked by consistency, he has yet to reveal a standout skill.

He arrives just as fellow six-million-dollar man Austin Warren predictably gets the back of the Mets' hand.

While neither Slater nor Wagaman promise to be the answer, MJ Martinez continues to be perhaps the Mets' second-best hitter, so maybe one of these guys falls of on the right side of the turnip truck and — for whatever time we and they are meant to be together — become part of the solution.

[Edgy MD]

While we just saw Christian Scott last week, an unfortunate Injured List assignment should provide a little bit more of an open-ended opportunity for him to show his mettle and quality.  If nothing else happens this season, establishing Scott and Jonah Tong alongside Nolan McLean in the Mets rotation would have to be counted as a win, potentially establishing a foundational stone to build on.

They could, indeed, be MST3K — a term originated by our friend Greg Prince at the always-engaging Faith and Fear in Flushing to describe a future built on McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Tong.  Brandon Sproat has been dealt to Milwaukee, but hope — along with promising pitchers whose name starts with S — has not

Transactions, 4/28/2026

GOING	COMING	COMING
Placed on 15-Day Injured List with Lumbar Spine Inflammation	Promoted from Syracuse	Transferred from St. Lucie to Syracuse on Rehab Assignment
Starting Pitchers	Starting Pitchers	Relief Pitchers
Kodai Senga	Christian Scott	Joey Gerber
L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1997-05-03 High Level: MLB (2026)

As noted above, two or three turns by Christian Scott gives him more of an open door than his previous appearance.  Any anticipation, of course, is tempered by the reality that he missed all of 2025, and establishing himself as a big leaguer after a year in the ether at the top of the development chain is a tough ask.

But hey, Roger McDowell pulled it off!  Maybe he can pull a McDowell!

Seeing as Senga's turn won't be coming around for a few days, one might have expected the Mets to add another reliever for a couple of games, being something close to a rule that if a big league team can add a reliever, they will, but a few days for Scott to get acclimated, —instead of having him step off a plane and onto a mound again — is something.

Joey Gerber, whose head does not sit centered upon his neck in his thumbnail photo, is close to being ready.

[Cowtipper]

Mets sign minor leaguers Jamari Baylor and TT Bowens. 

[seawolf17]

What, and I say this with no due respect, the fuck.

[The Hot Corner]

I guess Carl Edwards, Jr. was too effective in his brief time with the Mets, so of course, they have to ship him out.

[Edgy MD]

The Mets' odorous play of late (and beyond late, at this point) hasn't really been the result of health mishaps, but injuries are starting to mount.  Interestingly, they have been bringing in a series of veteran reinforcements in the infield department, both at the MLB and minor-league levels.

The redundancy has led to speculation in the Mets Roster Central Ranks.  Is this all simply to fill in gaps for injured players or is some dealing in the works?

Transactions, 4/27/2026

COMING

Signed away from Veracruz (Mexican League) to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to Binghamton

Infielders

TT Bowens

R/R DoB: 1998-05-27 High Level: AAA (2026)

Joining Binghamton will be new shortstop TT Bowens.  While his name speaks of some legendary Nashville picker of the Ryman Auditorium stage, TT (Terry) hails from Connecticut by way of an extended tenure with the Orioles organization.  His Baby Bird career was marked by alternating seasons of excellence and disaster.  Really — he'd have seasons of OPSes in the .800s followed by campaigns in the .300s.

Let's hope his glove was enough to keep his career going in those lean times — although he mostly plays corner spots.

Scouts agree that he's big and strong (6'4", 240) and has excellent teeth.

Transactions, 4/29/2026

COMING	COMING
Signed away from Southern Maryland (Atlantic League) to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to St. Lucie	Cleared Waivers, Assigned to Syracuse
Infielders	Outfielders
Jamari Baylor	Tommy Pham
R/R DoB: 2000-08-25 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 32210 High Level: MLB (2026)

Oft-observed here is that Tommy Pham never really got a pre-season, and while his failures as 2026 Met are certainly noted, he kind of was set up to fail.  So it's good to see him clear waivers and get a chance to get some work in.  If he joins the big-league club again, hopefully it is with his game honed.

MLB injuries creating a sucking effect throughout the minors.  When a guy is promoted from AAA to fill in for Flushing, somebody has to be promoted from every level to fill in at the level above, often pushing someone beyond their depth.

But never fear, St. Lucie has added 25-year-old shortstop Jamari Baylor, exile from three MLB organizations and two Atlantic League clubs.  Jamari hadn't had an employer yet this season, so his stay at St. Lucie is probably a temporary assignment to get in shape for a stint in the upper minors that may or may not come.

Jamari profiled through most of his career as a plus runner who worked counts well and avoided strikeouts, but last year in The Atlantic League, he started aiming for the fences, and while his strikeouts ballooned to 100 in 98 games, he became one of the league's top hitters with an eye-opening .303 / .421 / .552 // .973 line, slugging 21 homers and driving in 77.

Fun Fact: One of Jamari's teammates with The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs was 2016 Met Alejandro De Aza, still grinding it out at 41 years old!

Transactions, 4/30/2026

GOING	GOING	NEUTRAL	COMING	COMING
Designated for Assignment	Added to 10-Day Injured List Retroactive to April 26 with Lumbar Spine Disc Herniation	Transferred from Infield	Promoted from Syracuse	Claimed off Waivers from SAC, Not Yet Activated
Relief Pitchers	Outfielders	Outfielders	Relief Pitchers	Infielders
Carl Edwards, Jr.	Luis Robert, Jr.	Brett Baty	Austin Warren	Andy Ibáñez
R/R DoB: 33484 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 High Level: MLB (2026)	L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1993-04-03 High Level: MLB (2026)
COMING
Promoted from Syracuse
Infielders
Eric Wagaman
R/R DoB: 35656 High Level: MLB (2026)

As the Mets closed out a disastrous (disastrous!) April, the organization made a pile changes to the player roster as all eyes looked to manager's office.  Luis Robert, for whom an extended outage is expected, has been replaced by backup corner infielder Eric Wagaman, who tends to hit like a backup shortstop, and we had falsely expected was to reside in Syracuse until a BREAK GLASS alarm went off, but these times are perhaps more alarming than expected.

This seemingly pushes underperforming (as if that is a distinguishing characteristic) infielder Brett Baty back to the outfield.

Robert, it must be noted hits the Injured list having done and impressive job of finding his level in a small sample size:

• 2024: .657 OPS and 86 OPS+ in 425 PA
• 2025: .661 OPS and 85 OPS+ in 431 PA
• 2026: .655 OPS and 87 OPS+ in 98 PA

One is tempted to make a cheap crack about water finding its level.  But cheap is cheap and Luis ain't water.  Please heal up and come back and stick it to the haters, Lu.

Astounding no one, Carl Edwards, Jr. surrendering one paltry run in six innings while striking out 11 (!!) has ironically but predictably earned him a ticket on DFA train.  Odds are high that he will have a new employer this time next week.  We are happy to see the equally impressive Austin Warren back in uniform but will always deplore this depraved game of Reliever Roulette.

After yesterday's debackle deboccle debacle, the Mets made a waiver claim on yet another infielder — Andy Ibáñez, who had struggled in sporadic use with the Athletics this year, but had a serviceable career going with the Tigers before that.  A corresponding move is on the horizon, as Andy is out of options, so expect the Mets to (a) throw him right back on the waiver wire, (b) demote Ronny Maurcio, or perhaps (c) announce a deal (with Mauricio's contract being one of their more tradeable commodities).

The remains of the day will tell us much, but it is clear that Ibáñez brings a strong diacritical markings game — with an accent acute followed by a tilde recalling fond memories of the back of Rey Ordóñez' jersey. 

But here at Mets Roster Central, we are seeing a strategy even more subtle than the Mets nakedly ambitious attempt to put lovers of punctuation in the seats.  We are seeing a throwback to 2024 when the team added a late-career Cuban reserve secondbaseman at a similar point in the schedule and turned their season around.  

You heard it here first.  Start saving for playoff tickets NOW!!!!

[Edgy MD]

How embarrassing is it when the commentary about a transactions runs longer than the tenure that the transaction effected?  Because that is the awkward situation that Mets Roster Central is in right now.

Transactions, 5/1/2026

GOING	COMING
Demoted to Syracuse	Activated
Infielders	Infielders
Eric Wagaman	Andy Ibáñez
R/R DoB: 35656 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1993-04-03 High Level: MLB (2026)

Eric Wagaman was grab bed off waivers and Mets Roster Central assured you he would just be a minor-league placeholder unless a cascading emergency took place.

Wagaman was then called up without getting a single appearance in AAA.

Mets Roster Central then speculated about what role he could hold.

Wagaman was then sent down without getting a single appearance as a Met.

And we say, hey! — if you don't get into a game, you can't fail.  And that's perhaps not much of a calling card, but it's more than a lot of Mets can claim.  Hey, don't blame me!  I was in the air at the time!

Waggy's demotion is all to make room for Andy Ibáñez — Cuban backup infielder and the new José Iglesias to anybody who cares to pay attention to these things.

Godspeed to both.

[whippoorwill]

Mets should buy their own chopper

[Cowtipper]

We'll get to see what Vidal Brujan can do, as he's been selected to replace Mauricio. Wagaman was DFA'd, so the Eric Wagaman era might be over. 

[seawolf17]

"Paging Eric Wagaman to the Ghost Mets... Eric Wagaman to the Ghost Mets."

[Edgy MD]

Misfortunes are the results of injury often enough.  But even the most generous analysis of the 2026 Mets season would be unlikely to attribute their play to the lack of healthy players.

But now they have reached a point where the bad play precipitates the injuries.  More than a few errors, mistakes in judgment, and now injuries have resulted from players pushing themselves too hard to get through the horrors they find themselves in.

In a key part of the game yesterday, when a base hit batting righthanded (a very rare occurrence) was within reach, Ronny Mauricio dove for first, and, well, now we're firing up the transaction machine.

Transactions, 5/2/2026

GOING	COMING
Placed on 10-Day Injured List with Left Thumb Fracture	Designated for Assignment	Added to Roster, Promoted from Syracuse
Infielders
Ronny Mauricio	Eric Wagaman	Vidal Bruján
S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 35656 High Level: MLB (2026)	S/R DoB: 1998-02-09 High Level: MLB (2026)

No, you don't want to blame the Mets' play on injuries, but they've reached #3 on the shortstop depth chart.  With Francisco Lindor and now Ronny Mauricio both bit by the Dark Fairy of Trying-Too-Hard, the Mets turn to Option #3. 

And while two-time All-Star Bo Bichette makes for an attractive enough third option, it forces the Mets to rob Peter (Schourek?) to pay Paul (Sewald?) Presumably, they return to the classic Brett Baty/Mark Vientos platoon at third, and catch-as-catch-can at first.

Jorge Polanco is suddenly hearing his name spoken of with need, but until he comes back, please get to know Vidal Bruján, switch-hitting veteran of five MLB seasons.

Vidal also sports a 27.00 ERA in four MLB appearances pitching mopup in blowout games, and that data is far less irrelevant than Mets Roster Central would like it to be.

[Edgy MD]

Nobody argues against juggling bullpen backenders on and off the roster as much as we at Mets Roster Central do, but there's a reason they do it, and sometimes it works out.

Transactions, 5/3/2026

COMING

Cleared Waivers and Assigned to Syracuse

Relief Pitchers

Carl Edwards, Jr.

R/R DoB: 33484 High Level: MLB (2026)

The upside of pushing a veteran player through a DFA odyssey hardly seems worth it.   Maybe you get a fresh arm for a day or two, but that doesn't necessarily mean a better arm, or even the right one for the day.

The downside should be obvious — the lack of continuity effected by the roster churn, half your relievers often sleeping with one eye open, the undermining of the yo-yo-ed players morale, and the diminished status of players with fans, who are looking to bond with these players but find out the team only considers them day workers.

Beyond that is the inability of a player to grow in his job as he makes adjustments from appearance to appearance.  You pitch two back-end innings and give up three runs, or you pitch two shutout innings and strike out four — either way you're back on plane to Syracuse or wherever.  Or possibly grabbed off waivers by Tampa Bay

But the un-necessary trip through the waiver wire for Carl Edwards, Jr. has led to no such tragedies.  Nobody with a motive to grab him had a roster spot to spare, and so Carl heads to Syracuse, and hopefully soon returns to build on his 1.50 ERA and 11(!!) strikeouts in six innings.

That is ... if he doesn't refuse the assignment and become a free agent, which wouldn't be that crazy a move when banished to AAA by the team with the worst record in the league.  This, of course, is yet another reason why Reliever Roulette is a game for fools.

[Cowtipper]

Well, after Edwards struck out 11 batters in 6 innings, while posting an excellent 1.50 ERA and 1.167 WHIP, David Stearns decided he was far too talented and skilled to keep around. Horribly insulted by that horrible insult, Carl Edwards has elected free agency, probably seeking a team that actually appreciates and respects his abilities.

Meanwhile, I hear David Stearns is currently looking to sign a Pecos League pitcher with a 12.96 ERA to put on the major league roster. I hear Justin Garza is still a free agent. 

[Edgy MD]

Always looking for more-more-more MLB-ready relievers, the Mets and teams like them stock up on bullpenners with MLB histories at AAA.  Something happened — an injury or a performative downturn — that has kept them from getting MLB deals, but if you stockpile enough, and do it thoughtfully, you are going to find a few guys to help you.

The problem is, that the guys who rebound from whatever adversity want to be treated like MLB players, and the ones who don't fall away.  Either way, attrition abounds.

Transactions, 5/3/2026

GOING

Cleared Waivers and Assigned to Syracuse

Relief Pitchers

Carl Edwards, Jr.

R/R DoB: 33484 High Level: MLB (2026)

Carl Edwards, Jr. pitched two and two-thirds (more) impressive innings on April 29 in an otherwise largely ugly game, stretching himself to keep the Mets from deploying any other pitchers.  The very next day the Mets decided they needed fresh arms for the next game more than they needed Carl to stick around and potentially build on his excellent performance to date.

Well, they added Austin Warren, who himself has been no slouch despite getting yo-yo-ed between AAA and Flushing, but Warren was not needed, and Edwards DFA was a waste.  He cleared waivers, and was sent to Syracuse, but he — quite justifiably — opted for free agency instead, hoping some team will see in his 12 solid big-league seasons and excellent work for the Mets this year that he is still a big-leaguer who deserves to stop getting pink-slipped in exchange for good work. 

Transactions, 5/5/2026

GOING

Retired

Relief Pitchers

Nick Burdi

R/R DoB: 33988 High Level: MLB (2025)

Nick Burdi knows a thing or two about being yo-yo-ed.  He has been up and down since 2018, back when First Lady Melania Trump was visiting a child detention center while declaring "I DON'T REALLY CARE DO U?" on her back.  In all that time, good Nick never logged more than 9 2/3 innings.

Bone bruises, UCL surgery, thoracic outlet surgery, the lost season of the Covid-19 epidemic, platelet-rich injections, a second UCL surgery, hip inflammation, more platelet-rich injections, more stuff with his hip ...  Nick has seemingly seen it all.  What he never got to see was life as a New York Met.  Off to a strong start in Syracuse (one run in 4 1/3 innings), he hit the Injured List yet again, and ultimately decided to pack it in.

It's tough waiting for a break, when your patience is only giving life one more chance to punch you in the face.  His younger brother Zack pitched in parts of three MLB seasons as well, while his older brother Drew was an NCAA quarteback, which leaves them plenty of stories to tell around the Thanksgiving table.

Fair play to our lost relievers. May they remember their ephemeral Metliness fondly.

Next up, we get to see if Eric Wagaman gets claimed ... .

[Cowtipper]

The Mets signed pitchers Xzavion Curry and Guillo Zuniga. They also signed minor league hurler Brady Miller, who spent six (!!) years in college ball and later played in Mexico and the indy leagues. They also signed a fella named Josbel Torrez. They also signed a minor league pitcher named Jack Weisenburger, who was assigned to Triple-A Syracuse; that's his first taste of Triple-A. He's a good strikeout guy, at least. 

[Cowtipper]

The Mets signed veteran reliever Cionel Perez to a minor league deal. Joey Gerber was optioned to Syracuse and Eric Wagaman was outrighted to Syracuse, The Mets also signed a youngster named Jesus Minaya to a minor league deal.

[The Hot Corner]

Do you hear what I hear?  Scrape!  Scrape!  Scrape!

[Edgy MD]

While the Mets have upgraded their standard level of offensive play from consistently disastrous to weak and insubstantial, their league-worst 15-25 record is well reflected by Mets Roster Central, who saw a database crash reflect recent updates as the Mets scrambled to restock their system for the summer ahead.

Transactions, 5/5/2026

COMING

Signed away from SEA to Minor-League Contract, Not Yet Assigned

Relief Pitchers

Guillo Zuñiga

R/R DoB: 1998-10-10 High Level: MLB (2024)

Guillo (short for Guillermo) Zuñiga last saw MLB action as an Angel in 2024.  A native of Colombia who recently appeared for his country of origin in the World Baseball Classic (his second WBC), G-Money spent the spring with the Mariners organization, released at the end of training camp.

Zu Station originally signed with the Braves back in 2016, but his contract was one of over a dozen voided by the league a year later in the aftermath of a broad scandal and investigation involving player bundling, under-the-table benefits and predraft deals that would lead to a lifetime ban for former Braves GM John Coppolella.

A pitcher on the Mets after originally being signed by the Braves, only to see that contract voided due to rules violations?  We're not going to say that Guillo Zuñiga is the second coming of Tom Seaver, but ... yes, actually, that's exactly what we're saying.

Transactions, 5/6/2026

COMING

Signed as International Amateur Free Agent out of Venezuela, Not Yet Assigned

Relief Pitchers

Josbel Torrez

R/R DoB: 2007-04-05 High Level: Academy (2026)

Josbel Torrez, like most foreign amateur teenagers not signed in the mid-season or mid-winter periods, comes with little known about him, but an Instagram image of him signing his contract comes with the caption "Lo que repites cada dia, define tu resultado" — That which you repeat every day defines your result.  But here at Mets Roster Central, we have our doubts.  That which we repeat daily sometimes just defines what part of our back is going to hurt a lot tomorrow.

blah Zvon.

Transactions, 5/8/2026

GOING

Signed Away to Minor League Contract by DET

Relief Pitchers

Carl Edwards, Jr.

R/R DoB: 1991-09-03 High Level: MLB (2026)

We can't say enough about Carl Edwards, Jr., but we've largely said it already.  It's a mistake to keep shuffling off bullpen backenders to keep arms fresh.  Yes, the talent in that role often fungible from player to player, but it keeps players from finding their groove and/or establishing themselves as capable of doing more than the role at hand, and it keep the bonds of teams from establishing themselves.

All that said, we wish Carl the best, and knowing that guys who get DFA'd tend to get DFA'd, we hope to see him in a Mets uni again.

Transactions, 5/9/2026

COMING
Signed Away from Quintana Roo (Mexican Summer League) to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to Syracuse	Signed away from Monclava (Mexican Summer League) to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to Brooklyn	Signed away from WAS to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to Syracuse	Signed as International Amateur Free Agent out of The Dominican Republic
Starting Pitchers		Relief Pitchers	Infielder
Xzavion Curry	Brady Miller	Cionel Pérez	Jesus Minaya
R/R DoB: 1998-07-27 High Level: MLB (2025)	R/R DoB: 1999-10-19 High Level: American Association (2025)	R/L DoB: 1996-04-21 High Level: MLB (2026)	L/R DoB: 2009-02-26 High Level: Academy (2026)

Clearly, somebody has come home from scouting the Mexican league and brought with them two US exiles.  Xzavion Curry has beaucoups MLB experience as a starter and reliever, and more importantly, has a name that is worth 36 raw points in Scrabble, before factoring in any multiplier squares.  We haven't checked to see if that would be a Mets record, but we're just going to go ahead and assume that's a Mets record.

One thinks of Zebulon Vermillion, who got released back on April 1.  Even had Zebulon and his paltry 33 Scrabble points reached Citi Field, he would now stand to be eclipsed by Xzavion Curry.

The X-Man pitched in multiple roles for Cleveland's staff, and so could find himself being a Tobias Myers-type — possibly an opener — should he wend his way to Citi Field, and probably don a really high number.

Brady Miller has only appeared in unaffiliated ball since graduating with a finance degree from Western Michigan U., so he will be deployed to Brooklyn.

Cionel Perez has appeared in nine different big league seasons.  His bad starts the last two seasons has set him adrift, but he represents the kind of redeemable-if-not-recently-effective talent floating around that probably makes the Mets think the Carl Edwardses are replaceable.  Sometimes, they are right, but the process is an ugly game.

Cionel's perfectly symmetrical well-scaped beard and un-marred face make him look like a videogame NPC.  Look at his thumbnail pic and tell us we are wrong.

Transactions, 5/10/2026

NEUTRAL	COMING
Ended Rehab Assignment, Activated from 15-Day Injured List, Demoted to Syracuse	Cleared Waivers and Assigned to Syracuse
Relief Pitchers	Infielders
Joey Gerber	Eric Wagaman
R/R DoB: 1997-05-03 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1997-08-14 High Level: MLB (2026)

Joey Gerber is someone we fully expect to see again, providing no disasters befall him.  Extending his Injured List status out with a long rehab assignment was clearly the Mets just playing roster games, trying to keep him in their back pocket if needed.

Eric Wagaman is more likely someone we can imagine joining the list of ghost Mets, having been activated on the big league roster for a single game last week.  Now being off the 40, and expecting perhaps the return to health of other Met infielders and the expected activation of top prospect A.J. Ewing, one would expect several dominoes would have to fall before we see a return of Eric, but William Butler Years will tell you — things do fall apart.

Transactions, 5/11/2026

GOING

Released

Relief Pitchers

Kevin Gowdy

R/R DoB: 1997-11-16 High Level: AAA (2025)

The Mets are (or more correctly, were) the fifth MLB organization for Kevin Gowdy.  When he joined the team toward the end of spring training, we had guessed he might be a relation to Sports Broadcasting Hall-of-Famer Curt Gowdy, Jr., longtime executive vice president for SNY, as well as the even-more-famous Curt Gowdy, Sr., — and maybe he got a courtesy look from the Mets — but we have found no evidence to back that up.

Kevin is just a journeyman reliever, and now he journeys on, his second-round-draft-pick (Phillies) status from back in 2016 is well in the past, but maybe somebody pulls their old 2016 scouting reports and decides to give him a tumble.

Stranger things have come to pass in this game.  And heck, maybe he is one of those Gowdys after all.

[Edgy MD]

 

It is the habit of teams calling up a top prospect to try to take the heat off the rookie by declaring he is "NOT HERE TO BE A SAVIOR."

Expect a lot of that tonight — from the announcers manager, coaches, fellow players, maybe the owner ... maybe even from brand-new Met A.J. Ewing himself.  It'll probably even be true, but none of it will lift the reality that the Mets need saving, and the only thing that is going to take that off Ewing's shoulders is a couple of teammates doing the heavy lifting themselves.

Transactions, 5/12/2026

GOING	NEUTRAL	COMING
Designated for Assignment	Transferred from Outfield	Re-Signed to Minor League Contract, Assigned to Brooklyn	Added to Roster and Promoted from Syracuse
Infielders			Outfielders
Andy Ibáñez	Brett Baty	Nick Roselli	A.J. Ewing
R/R DoB: 1993-04-03 High Level: MLB (2026)	L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 High Level: MLB (2026)	L/R DoB: 2003-03-31 High Level: A+ (2025)	L/R DoB: 2004-08-10 High Level: AAA (2026)

A.J. Ewing came hard in 2025.  His .830 OPS over three levels was underscored by a .401 OBP and 70 stolen bases.  Mets Roster Central suspects it was his performance in 2025 that turned Jett Williams into a tradeable commodity for the Mets.  A Ty Cobbian start (not to put any pressure on a guy) to 2026 (.339 / .447 / .514 // .961 with 17 steals in 18 attempts in 30 games across two levels) and he's here with the Mets.

And that's his game — getting on base and running wild.  Pray that the Mets don't turn him into one more guy who flies out to the warning track and gets slaps on the back for almost getting a hold of one.  That show is getting real old.

Putting Brett Baty back in the infield contingent is some housekeeping here, but it really is a fait accompli.  He's seen most of his time over there since the Ronny Mauricio injury, and Andy Ibáñez' two error game at the hot corner sealed his fate perhaps more than his bat did.

Nick Roselli had been released at the end of Spring Training after a lousy 2025.  (He did well enough at St. Lucie but hit a wall in Brooklyn.)  But with the way the Mets season is going, a .455 OPS doesn't seem as hopelessly disqualifying as it might have back on April 1.  His return probably represents the organization backfilling in anticipation of losing Ibáñez.

That smart looking Bingho uniform he's wearing in his thumbnail pic isn't a Rumble Ponies alternate, by the way.  Nick played his NCAA ball for SUNY-Binghamton.

Go Bearcats!!

[Edgy MD]

It was like A.J. Ewing reminded the Mets how to play last night — working counts, laying off sliders out of the strikezone, not overswinging, an in the end, letting the Tigers beat themselves.  But all the rookie centerfielders in the world can't stop flesh from tearing, and that's what happened to the Mets catcher.

Transactions, 5/13/2026

GOING	COMING
Placed on 10-Day Injured List with Torn Right Meniscus	Promoted from Syracuse
Catchers
Francisco Alvarez	Hayden Senger
R/R DoB: 2001-11-01 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1997-04-03 High Level: MLB (2026)

Francisco Álvarez overswings.  He's a hell of a talent and you hate to boil down his lack of breakthrough performances to one problem, but man does he overswing.  It makes him start early, it keeps him from breaking his swings on bad pitches, it leads him to top the ball, it slows his exit from the box, and now it has wounded his knee.

The good news is he's a crazy fast healer and that he tends to return from injury refocused and on his game.  Those are way too rubbery a set of patterns to rely on, but let's help they hold true nonetheless.

Hayden Senger is his designated replacement during his IL stints the last few years, and while his defense has been rock solid, nobody is missing his .484 career OPS.  That said, while his Syracuse performance  this season has produced a typically low batting average and on-base percentage, he's somehow found his power bat, and his six homers in Salt City are already a career high, and they are more than any Met (the Flushing kind) has hit this season.

Meanwhile, we wish 2022 #11 overall draft pick Kevin Parada our best as his struggles continue in Binghamton.  It's a tough game to figure out.

[Edgy MD]

There's nothing wrong with second thoughts.  Just because you let a guy walk doesn't mean you can't reassess him.  Maybe your needs change, maybe your assessment of the guy changes, maybe the guy just has gotten better.  You don't want to dig in on your old evaluations.

Anyhow, this is what Mets Roster Central told their wife.

Transactions, 5/14/2026

COMING

Signed away from CHC to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to Binghamton

Outfielders

Jaylen Palmer

R/R DoB: 2000-07-31 High Level: AAA (2025)

After re-signing infielder Nick Roselli, previously of Levittown, SUNY Binghamton, and the Mets organization right up until they released him on April 1 of this year, the Mets Office of Second Thoughts wasn't done.

Outfielder Jaylen Palmer had an even greater claim to a Mets territorial claim, having sprung from the streets of Flushing and the halls of Holy Cross High School.  Jaylen played in the system from 2018 to 2024 before achieving minor-league free agency and jumping to the Cubs.

But a Flushing guy is a guy you keep tabs on, and when Jaylen and his solid on-base/speed combo (and low average and power) became available again at a time of Mets need, well, a reunion was inevitable.  The Palmer family — based in Canarsie — were regular supporters of Jaylen when he played for the Mets in Coney Island, so hopefully a few summer trips to Binghamton will be coming up.

[Frayed Knot]

48 minutes ago, Cowtipper said:

🚨 METS CHAOS ERUPTS IN THE BRONX! 🚨

Mets aren't in the Bronx

 

Quote

SHOCKING CUT: LUKE JACKSON AXED BY SYRACUSE METS! 05/17/26 — Veteran RHP Luke Jackson brutally released by Syracuse. After years of big-league heat, the Mets are showing ZERO mercy!

Zero mercy, And to a war hero too!! I hope just they didn't make him spend a night in the box.

[Edgy MD]

Mets Roster Central apologizes for providing no hot roster change action as our computer is in the shop.

[Edgy MD]

Met Roster Central apologizes for not being available for roster updates the last week or so.  Our massive array of computers were in the shop, and maybe our pants were at the cleaners, but our hearts were right there in our chests, beating a Metly beat.  As the roster starts getting populated with fewer journeymen and more homegrown rookies, that beat only gets louder.

Transactions, 5/15/2026

COMING
Signed away from Jalisco (Mexican League) to Minor-League Contract, Assigned to Binghamton	Cleared Waivers, Assigned to Syracuse	Sent to St. Lucie on Rehab Assignment
Relief Pitchers	Infielders	Outfielders
Max Green	Andy Ibáñez	Jared Young
L/L DoB: 1996-05-28 High Level: AA (2021)	R/R DoB: 1993-04-03 High Level: MLB (2026)	L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 High Level: MLB (2026)

Former Tigers prospect Max Green comes the Mets after a few years in indy ball, capped by an impressive start to his Mexican League campaign.  He is not the son of Mets farm director Andy Green, but while checking that possibility out, we did learn that he is a fan of surfing, snowboarding, and fellow lefthander Jimi Hendrix. 

Hang ten, Dude!

Jared Young got the lefthanded bat off the bench/fifth outfielder role after an injury to Mike Tauchman coming out of camp.  While Young got off to an impressive start (.350 / .391 / .450 // .841 through 23 plate appearances), he was succeeded in his roster spot by MJ Melendez and MJ was the Mets best hitter while things were at their bleakest.  So we may have a roster showdown between two guys, each believed to have a single option year.

Andy Ibáñez didn't really have a role — he was an infielder used as an outfielder against lefties in lean times that we shall not speak of again — in his short time with the Mets.  We're happy to see him stay in the organization following his DFA, as the team always needs Cubano journeymen infielders.

Transactions, 5/16/2026

GOING		COMING
Placed on 15-Day Injured List with Fractured Right Fibula	Released	Promoted from Syracuse
Starting Pitchers	Catchers	Relief Pitchers
Clay Holmes	Daniel Silva	Joey Gerber
R/R DoB: 1993-03-27 High Level: MLB (2026)	S/R DoB: 2025-01-21 High Level: Rk (2025)	R/R DoB: 1997-05-03 High Level: MLB (2026)

Nobody wanted to see Clay Holmes hurt.  He had emerged as the ace of a staff that had several qualifiers vying for that title, including big-name import/Opening Day starter Freddy Peralta and Rookie of the Year candidate Nolan McLean.  Beyond that, his unlikely level of success after transitioning from relief was one of the dwindling hooks on which to hang the idea that Mets management knows what they are doing.

But what is a greater test of management than how good the next soldier (and the next soldier and next) is when the first goes down?  It's a game of attrition, more than ever, and if there's anything good to say about a fractured fibula incurred after absorbing a comeback liner, well, it sure beats an exploded UCL or a case of thoracic outlet syndrome or the like.

Until the Mets add a replacement starter, the bullpen is expanded (as teams will always seek to do) by one, with Joey Gerber and his awesome set of dimples returning from history's longest assignment for the purpose of rehabbing from blisters.

It's a mad world.  We at Mets Roster Central cannot control it.  We can only describe it in madness.

Venezuelan catcher Daniel Silva signed back in 2021 and Mets Roster Central never got a photo of him, as even his signing photo was with several players all masking up, leaving him indistinguishable from his fellow signees.  The switch-hitter put up terrific walk rates but could not climb the latter due to trouble staying healthy and, in 2025, a plummeting batting average (.188, but still with a strong OBP).  He never got on the field in 2026.

Transactions, 5/17/2026

GOING

Released

Relief Pitchers

Luke Jackson

R/R DoB: 1991-08-24 High Level: MLB (2026)

Cool-Hand Luke Jackson (his actual nicknames are the equally obvious "Fireman" and "Skywalker") was almost impressively wild (seven walks in 4 2/3 innings) in his short stint with Syracuse.  This is a problem that has come and gone over his long career.  The former Braves closer (for half of 2018 anyhow) may or may not get another call from a seventh organization before the year is out, but cut loose by the Mets six weeks after signing his career does seem to be close to sunsetting.

If so, and mind-numbingly gaudy championship ring won with the 2021 Braves, along with this video of Skywalker cuddling his newborn son on the field after pitching in Game Three of that year's World series, has to make for the most impossibly garish and incredibly sweet pair of career keepsakes.

Transactions, 5/18/2026

GOING		COMING
Demoted to Syracuse	Transferred from 15- to 60-Day Injured List	Added to 40-Player Roster and Promoted from Syracuse	Added to 40-Player Roster and Demoted to Syracuse
Relief Pitchers
Joey Gerber	A.J. Minter	Daniel Duarte	Anderson Severino
R/R DoB: 1997-05-03 High Level: MLB (2026)	L/L DoB: 1993-09-02 High Level: MLB (2025)	R/R DoB: 1996-12-04 High Level: MLB (2024)	L/L DoB: 1994-09-17 High Level: MLB (2026)

It isn't clear why the Mets would add Anderson Severino to the 40-Player Roster without promoting him to the big leagues, but there is clearly some reason he is part of this flurry of activity.  Experience suggests to Mets Roster Central that Anderson had an opt-out if he was not added to the roster by this date, and his terrific 0.98 ERA through 18 1/3 International League innings so far suggests he is not somebody they want to let walk.

(A fun Anderson Severino fact is that that 0.98 ERA through 18 1/3 innings in Syracuse is the exact same line he put up in the Mexican Pacific Winter League, leading the Mets to sign him)

Nonetheless, given the choice of keeping Joey Gerber (who had not appeared since his return to the team) two days earlier and promoting Sevvy (a man without an ERA), they went a third route and added Mexican-born Daniel Duarte.  Daniel is a journeyman at first glance, but he has a lot of non-affiliated big-time, high-pressure experience, appearing for his country in the Olympics, The World Baseball Classic and El Serie del Caribe.

So, the Mets bide their time before the launch of The Severino Missile.  They also anticipate the return of A.J. Minter in a week or two.  His assignment here to the 60-Day Injured List seems to push his return date further back, but in actuality, he had already cleared 60 days and can be activated at any time.  The Mets just needed the big fat roster spot that becomes available when a player is added to the 60.

Transactions, 5/19/2026

GOING		COMING
Transferred from 15- to 60-Day Injured List	Designated for Assignment	Added to 40-Player Roster and Promoted from Syracuse	Transferred from St. Lucie to Syracuse on Rehab Assignment
Starting Pitchers	Outfielders
Clay Holmes	Austin Slater	Nick Morabito	Jared Young
R/R DoB: 1993-03-27 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 33951 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 2003-05-07 High Level: MLB (2024)	L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 High Level: MLB (2026)

While the Clay Holmes and Jared Young transactions to the left represent the expected progressions of two players going in two different directions, the real story is the addition of young Nick Morabito.  In a year when the Mets are inducting Lee Mazzilli into The Mets Hall of Fame, what could be a more appropriate addition than another exciting athletic Italian-American prospect tearing through the minors with blazing speed and a terrific batting eye.

The pride of Gonzaga College High School even got to debut before the denizens of his hometown.  Sadly, the Mets screwed up the Morabito launch badly by first assigning him (yay!) and then withdrawing (booooo!) #8, a number that a populist, ill-thought-out and utterly a-historical argument says must be perpetually reserved in honor of Gary Carter.  Mets Roster Central has a lot of thoughts on this (as usual, Mets by the Numbers says it better), but let's just say that there are ton of lovely ways for a team to honor the legacy of past figures, and defaulting to number retirement is cliched, uncreative, and terribly shortsighted.

Welcome, though, to Nick Morabito.  We are so excited to see you kid, that we've outfitted you in ... er, um ... #55.

Ugh.

Transactions, 5/20/2026

GOING	COMING
Demoted to Syracuse	Added to 40-Player Roster and Promoted from Syracuse
Relief Pitchers	Starting Pitchers
Daniel Duarte	Zach Thornton
R/R DoB: 1996-12-04 High Level: MLB (2026)	L/L DoB: 2002-01-17 High Level: MLB (2026)

It is clearly no secret that guys in the front office stay awake at night thinking of ways to get one more relief pitcher, one more relief pitcher ONE MORE relief pitcher onto the roster.  It consumes them. It obsesses them. It eats at their health damages their relationships.  They are at their kids' dance recitals or staring into a golden sunset, while their minds are a thousand miles away thinking about cycling players with options back and forth to AAA, using an infielder as a backup catcher, using a second-baseman in the outfield, all for that one more guy to pitch two innings of mopup as a human sacrifice in the game you aren't trying to win so you can save your pitchers for the game you aren't.

It's all gross, but don't think for a minute that, as hands twisted and hearts stopped over news of Clay Holmes' fractured fibula, more than one person in the front office was at least partially excited that they got to add ONE MORE RELIEVER for several days while Holmes hit the IL but they didn't yet need his replacement.

Well, those days are done, and the Mets have come to call on young Zach Thornton.  Not to be confused with the Zach Thornton who came to the Mets in the Ike Davis trade, this ZT started the season in Binghamton, but climbed up to Syracuse and beyond and manage to pass and debut in Queens before the more celebrated Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger.  Somewhere this will be sold as an indictment of Tong and Wenninger, but progress comes in fits and starts, and Thornton is simply having a moment.  The lefty breaking pitch specialist is only just coming into big-league velocity, but his aversion to homers and walks has been approaching a clinical level, and while that package may lead to good days and bad for the time being, he has been lauded for a bulldog mentality and can be expected to pitch deep into games even when his best stuff is lacking.

CAN THE SAME BE SAID OF YOU?!

Here's to seeing a lot of Zach in the future and maybe a rotation of him along with McLean, Scott, Tong, and Wenninger is a bright future not far off.

[Edgy MD]

Every day seems to bring one more exciting young Mets prospect.  Returning to joint the Mets today is a starter, who — lest it be forgotten — was the best pitcher in the minors last season

Transactions, 5/22/2026

GOING	COMING
Designated for Assignment	Sent to St. Lucie on Rehab Assignment	Promoted from Syracuse and Transferred from Rotation
Relief Pitchers	Starting Pitchers	Relief Pitcher
Craig Kimbrel	Kodai Senga	Jonah Tong
R/R DoB: 1988-05-28 High Level: MLB (2026)	L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 High Level: MLB (2026)

It's exciting to see Jonah Tong back — and with him the full assembly of Generation MST3K (McLean-Scott-Tong, as first designated by Faith and Fear in Flushing), but as we go to print, it is unclear what Jonah's role will be.  The Mets appear to have a full rotation in place. 

That could change, bug for now, it appears Tong will be a bulk reliever — perhaps with the Mets trying to introduce him with the protection they have been affording David Peterson, giving him an something of a starter-like innings burden, but with protection against opposing managers stacking the lineup with opposite-side hitters.

Tong has not shown much of his 2025 form this season, and has struggled particularly with his control, up to and including his last start.

He hasn't pitched in eight days, and maybe the Mets are planning to convert him to a traditional reliever.  He has a relatively slight build, not unlike Luke Weaver.  But the Dodgers looked at Pedro Martinez' build and didn't see a starter.

They chose ... poorly.

But you yourself should choose to tune in and see the Mets, with three rookies in their outfield and several more in and out of their starting rotation.

Welcome to the future.

[Edgy MD]

It was fun while it lasted — four rookies in the rotation.  FOUR!  But that bloated the rotation beyond the pentatonic standard, and one had to be farmed out.

Transactions, 5/23/2026

GOING	NEUTRAL	COMING
Demoted to Syracuse	Transferred from Bullpen	Promoted from Syracuse
Starting Pitchers		Relief Pitchers
Zach Thornton	Jonah Tong	Jonathan Pintaro
L/L DoB: 37273 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 High Level: MLB (2025)

Seeing Zach Thornton go down is sub-optimal.  The initial upside of it, however is that it creates rotation room for Jonah Tong — suggesting that his initial appearance out of the bullpen was a one-off.  It wouldn't have been the first time that the quest for ever-more, ever-stronger bullpen has ensnared a top starting prospect.

Tong even committed the cardinal sin of of doing well his first time out of the bullpen, which the likes of Grant Roberts, Aaron Heilman, Seth Lugo, and Robert Gsellman will tell you is the fastest way to lose control of the narrative.

But the opening now is in the rotation.  Hopefully, Jonah can plant his Canadian flag there, at least until Kodai Senga is ready to perform.

Making his 2026 debut in the bullpen is Jonathan Pintaro.  Jonathan's last name means painter in Italian and they painted it in Spanish and door in Ndebele, and he has been painting the back door nicely for Syracuse, with a 2.81 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings.

I mean, we were hoping they'd call up Stan Musial, but he was apparently not available.

[Edgy MD]

Two bad things can happen when you break up with somebody.  (1) Somebody else immediately swoops in and romances them, making you wonder why you would break with somebody so desirable.  (2) Nobody else immediately swoops in and romances them, making you wonder why you ever were with somebody so seemingly otherwise undesirable.

Both of these are stinking thinking, of course, but such is your vulnerability when your decision has left you newly alone and vulnerable — or if you are the Mets, spiraling toward oblivion and irrelevancy. 

GOING

Cleared Waivers and Assigned to Syracuse

Outfielders

Austin Slater

R/R DoB: 1992-12-13 High Level: MLB (2026)

Austin Slater wasn't as bad as all that as the righthanded half of a Slater/MJ Melendez platoon that had been alternating with Juan Soto between DH and left field.  He hit .250 (which is sadly a defensible umber by today's standards, but it was an empty .250 (.250 / .286 / .300 // .586). 

That is no worse than most of the lineup has been doing, and certainly no worse than his slumping platoon mate has been showing the world, but he's the guy with the least contract security, so he is the most easily shuffled off.

With Jacob Young, on the mend, MJ might not be far behind.  The clock is certainly ticking.

Transactions, 5/24/2026

GOING	GOING
Cleared Waivers and Assigned to Syracuse	Refused Minor-League Assignment and Opted for Free Agency
Relief Pitchers	Outfielders
Craig Kimbrel	Austin Slater
R/R DoB: 1988-05-28 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1992-12-13 High Level: MLB (2026)

The apparent end of Craig Kimbrell's Mets career was foreshadowed by the Mets sending him out there for an extra inning to mop up a loss.  He has been passed on, for the time being, by other teams who don't want to add him to their MLB roster, but there may or may not still be a market for the aging and man-bunned former star.  Kimbrel has been assigned to Syracuse, but there is every reason to believe he will refuse that assignment, and like Slater, go hunting for a new home.

Kimbrel's exile led to a new wave of premature speculation about his Hall of Fame chances, including a sorry case against offered in a hot take by Bob Nightengale, who just should know better.

Nighty argues that John Franco had had 424 saves and 23.4 WAR (compared to Kimbrel's current 440 and 22.5) in 409 more innings, and got nary a tumble from Hall of Fame voters.

Now, Mets Roster Central is not going come out for or against the enshrinement of Craig Kimbrel here, but putting aside the idea that taking less time to accomplish similar feats should be seen as a good thing, WAR is just a terrible measure of success for closers:

• Firstly, the formula that generates the number is proprietary, so it is an act of faith to accept WAR at face value.
• Secondly, what we do know about WAR is that it normalizes — it extricates the numbers players accomplish from the situations they perform in, and treats all situations as the same.  This is disastrous for a situation-specific role, like and end-of-game specialist.

Take, in that second situation, an NFL short-yardage specialist of a fullback.  He may get 10 carries in a year, all on the one-yard line, plunging into the end zone for a touchdown each time.  Extricate those 10 carries from the situation they occurred in, and this player looks like a disaster, a running back averaging one yard per carry.  Worst in the league!

Anyhow, the once indomitable closer has a three-pronged decision to make — retire, shop for a new opportunity, or humbly head to Syracuse to see if he can up his game.  We expect (b) with Austin Slater has already taken, joining Tommy Pham and Andy Ibáñez on The Great List of Veteran Reserve Righthanded-Htting Outfielders Who Couldn't Stick on the 2026 Mets.

Eric Wagaman, shuffled off before he could so much as appear, probably deserves honorary membership.

[Cowtipper]

A bit of a roster shuffle ...

AJ Minter reinstated from the IL. 
Jared Young reinstated from the IL.
Eric Wagaman selected to the roster.

Tyrone Taylor to the 10-day IL.
Jonathan Pintaro optioned to the minors.
Nick Morabito optioned to the minors.

 

[MFS62]

Wagaman has been hitting well at Rochester, mainly a DH.

[Edgy MD]

Capping a terrible series in Miami, a reserve Mets outfielder gets hurt.  It shouldn't have been the worst news, but ... as this outfielder was perhaps the most recent hero the Mets have known in a season where heroes have been few, a tremendous game-tying home run against the Yankees nine days ago is suddenly seeming like ten years in the rearview mirror

Transactions, 5/25/2026

GOING

Refused Minor-League Assignment and Opted for Free Agency

Relief Pitchers

Craig Kimbrel

R/R DoB: 1988-05-28 High Level: MLB (2026)

Craig Kimbrel refusing a minor-league assignment should come as no surprise.  The bearded, man-bunned purveyor of the crane position brought more style than substance to his Mets tenure, but he has spent the last few seasons in a race against time, trying to add something — anything — to his borderline Hall of Fame case, jumping from team to team, with little time to linger.

The man can still pitch a little, but is stuff is such that you don't want to see him in a position where he has to throw a strike.

Transactions, 5/26/2026

GOING				NEUTRAL
Signed away by TBR to Minor League Contract	Demoted to Syracuse	Demoted to Syracuse	Placed on 10-Day Injured List with Strained Right Hip Flexor	Transferred from Infield
Relief Pitchers		Outfielders
Craig Kimbrel	Jonathan Pintaro	Nick Morabito	Tyrone Taylor	MJ Melendez
R/R DoB: 1988-05-28 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 2003-05-07 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1994-01-22 High Level: MLB (2026)	L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 High Level: MLB (2026)
COMING
Activated from 60-Day Injured List	Added to Roster and Promoted from Syracuse
Relief Pitchers	Infielders
A.J. Minter	Eric Wagaman
L/L DoB: 1993-09-02 High Level: MLB (2025)	R/R DoB: 1997-08-14 High Level: MLB (2026)

When Tyrone Taylor pulled up short on the way to first, it was unfortunate, but losing a reserve outfielder with a .530 OPS for a few weeks shouldn't be a roster-cripping exercise.  But what shouldn't be and what is are on pretty friendly terms when it comes to these 2026 Mets.

Taylor's immediate replacement is, as expected, fellow reserve outfielder Jared Young, returning from a leg injury, but that transaction left the Mets with four of their five outfielders being exclusive lefthanded hitters, and the lone righthanded batter still looking for his first MLB hit.

Pinch-running specialists (particularly pinch-running specialists who get thrown out on the first pitch) are simply not a luxury that teams in the offensive position of the Mets can afford to retain, but as Nick Morabito's initial Mets tenure comes to a close, let it not be overlooked that the Mets chose to open it by un-necessarily throwing the rookie into the heat of a stupid near-40-year-old number controversy, and then not having their guy's back when the shit predictably hit the fan.

So Morabito is out, the more seasoned righthanded bat of Eric Wagaman is back in the fold (and hopefully shedding his phantom Met status), and the Mets are no longer operating with an infield/outfield imbalance that had caused Vientos-Semien-Baty-Bichette to play 99% of the innings in recent weeks.

The long rehab of AJ Minter comes to an end, and if he gives the Mets a second lefty half as effective as Brooks Raley has been, they will be a blessed team on the bullpen side of things, but that is not the side where the pain has been, as can be seen by their rewarding Jonathan Pintaro for his 3 1/3 hitless/one walk innings with a ticket to Syracuse.

Dominoes.