Mets Roster Central: Itinerant Infielders Assemble

[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!!!!

Your 2026 New York Mets

	Starting Pitchers
	Clay Holmes	Nolan McLean	Freddy Peralta	David Peterson	Christian Scott
	R/R DoB: 1993-03-27	R/R DoB: 2001-07-24	R/R DoB: 2996-06-04	L/L DoB: 1995-09-03	R/R DoB: 1999-06-15
Relief Pitchers
Huascar Brazobán	Craig Kimbrel	Sean Manaea	Tobias Myers	Brooks Raley	Austin Warren	Luke Weaver
R/R DoB: 1989-10-15	R/R DoB: 32291	R/L DoB: 1992-02-01	R/R DoB: 1998-08-05	L/L DoB: 1988-06-29	R/R DoB: 1996-02-05	R/R DoB: 1993-08-21
Relief Pitchers	Catchers		Infielders
Devin Williams	Francisco Alvarez	Luís Torrens	Bo Bichette	Ronny Mauricio	MJ Melendez	Marcus Semien
R/R DoB: 1994-09-21	R/R DoB: 2001-11-01	R/R DoB: 1996-05-02	R/R DoB: 1998-03-05	S/R DoB: 2001-04-04	L/R DoB: 1993-11-29	R/R DoB: 1990-09-17
Infielders		Outfielders
Mark Vientos	Eric Wagaman	Brett Baty	Carson Benge	Austin Slater	Juan Soto	Tyrone Taylor
R/R DoB: 1993-12-11	R/R DoB: 35656	L/R DoB: 1999-11-13	L/R DoB: 2003-01-20	R/R DoB: 33951	L/L DoB: 1998-10-25	R/R DoB: 34356

Also on 40-Player Roster

Starting Pitchers			Relief Pitchers
Tylor Megill	Kodai Senga	Jonah Tong	Alex Carrillo	Reed Garrett	Joey Gerber	Justin Hagenman
R/R DoB: 1995-07-28	L/R DoB: 1993-01-30	R/R DoB: 2003-06-19	R/R DoB: 1997-06-06	R/R DoB: 1993-01-02	R/R DoB: 1997-05-03	R/R DoB: 1996-10-07
On 60-Day Injured List with torn right UCL.	On 15-Day Injured List with Lumbar Spine Inflammation	With Syracuse	With Syracuse	On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery and nerve relocation surgery.	With St. Lucie on Rehab Assignment	On 60 Day Injured List with fractured rib.
Relief Pitchers				Catchers	Infielders
A.J. Minter	Dedniel Núñez	Jonathan Pintaro	Dylan Ross	Hayden Senger	Andy Ibáñez	Francisco Lindor
L/L DoB: 1993-09-02	R/R DoB: 1996-06-05	R/R DoB: 1997-11-07	R/R DoB: 2000-09-01	R/R DoB: 1997-04-03	R/R DoB: 1993-04-03	S/R DoB: 1993-11-14
With Syracuse on Rehab Assignment	On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery.	With Syracuse	With Syracuse	With Syracuse	Not Yet Activated	On 10-Day Injured List with Strained Left Calf
Infielders
Jorge Polanco	Nick Morabito	Luis Robert, Jr.	Jared Young
S/R DoB: 1999-11-13	R/R DoB: 2003-05-07	R/R DoB: 1997-08-03	L/R DoB: 1995-07-09
On 10-Day Injured List with right wrist contusion.	With Syracuse	On 10-Day Injured List with Lumbar Spine Disc Hernitaion	On 10-Day Injured List with torn left meniscus.

Deslgnated for Assignment

Carl Edwards, Jr.

R/R DoB: 33484

DFA'd, 2026-04-30.

Your Mets Coaching Staff

Manager	Bench Coach	Pitching Coach	Hitting Coordinator	Third Base Coach	First Base Coach	Bullpen Coach	Ass't Pitching Coach
Carlos Mendoza	Kai Correa	Justin Willard	Jeff Albert	Tim Leiper	Gilbert Gomez	José Rosado	Dan McKinney
DoB: 1979-11-27	DoB: 1989-07-14	DoB: 1990-09-09	DoB: 1992-08-16	DoB: 1996-07-19	DoB: 1992-03-08	DoB: 1974-11-09	DoB: 1989-06-06
Hitting Coach	Strategy Coach	Catching Coach	Coaching Assistant	Bat'g Practice Pitcher	Equipment Manager	Bullpen Catchers	Bullpen Catchers
Troy Snitker	Danny Barnes	J.P. Arencibia	Rafael Fernandez	Kevin Mahoney	Kevin Kierst	Eric Langill	Dave Racaniello
DoB: 1988-12-05	DoB: 1989-10021	DoB: 1986-01-05	DoB: 1988-08-03	DoB: 1987-05-11	DoB: 1964-07-09	DoB: 1979-04-09	DoB: 1978-06-03

Your Mets Training Staff

Director of Player Health	Head Athletic Trainer	Assistant Athletic Trainer	Reconditioning Coordinator	Reconditioning Therapist	Head Performance Coach	Assistant Performance Coach	Performance Coordinator	Soft Tissue Specialist
Brian Chicklo	Joseph Golia	Bryan Baca	Sean Bardanett	Josh Bickel	Dustin Clarke	Tanner Miracle	Jeremy Chiang	Hiroto Kawamura
DoB: 1972-07-17	DoB: 1978-??-??	DoB: Circa 1980	DoB: 1988-06-23	DoB: 1996-??-??	DoB: 1987-??-??	DoB: 1991-??-??	DoB: ????-??-??	DoB: 22846

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