Mets Roster Central: Thieves from Tampa

An interesting thing about grabbing guys off the waiver wire, or signing them as freegies after they pass through waivers, is you often see your team grabbing guys out of the same organization, losing teams to the same organization.  Maybe there's a favorite scout that they trust who has just returned from a look at that team.

Transactions, 5/26/2026

GOING
Transferred from 10-Day to 60-Day Injured List with Lubar Spine Disc Herniation	Signed away by TBR to Minor-League Contract
Outfielders
Luis Robert, Jr.	Austin Slater
R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 High Level: MLB (2026)	R/R DoB: 1992-12-13 High Level: MLB (2026)

Merely hours after signing a post-waivers Craig Kimbrel to a minor-league contract, the Rays extended the same courtesy to Austin Slater, who similarly exercised his veteran's right to refuse a minor-league assignment and shop himself around.

At 34-18 and in first place in the big-spending AL East, all the while playing in a park they had to fix up just to get the team to return in preparation for leaving again, the Rays may the best team in baseball at the same time as being the most irrelevant.  It's a strange world, and the Rays may be collecting players waived by a last-place team, but they are sure doing something right.

Luis Robert, Jr. got bumped to the 60-Man IL to make room for recent roster jugglage, so while the assignment may not represent a change in his health status, there isn't much of a peep of his improvement, leaving the Mets, among other things, a little short of righthanded hitters.

Transactions, 5/27/2026

COMING

Sent to Binghamton on Rehab Assignment

Infielders

Jorge Polanco

S/R DoB: 1999-11-13 High Level: MLB (2026)

While that righthanded hitter shortage has led the Mets to give a second look to corner infielder/corner outfielder Eric Wagaman, Jorge Polanco looms in the professional on-deck circle, suggesting Waggy's time could again be short.

Polanco has historically been better from the left side, so he wouldn't particularly solve that righty issue.  It is unclear how mobile he will be when he comes back, so he might well be seeing the bulk of his time at DH, leaving a deeply slumping (but still possibly the team's best righthanded hitter) Mark Vientos at first.

We mean, yeah, that's not the way it is supposed to be, but putting the Vientos season side by side with those of Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, and Luis Torrens, you kinda know what we mean, right?

Your 2026 New York Mets

	Starting Pitchers
	Nolan McLean	Freddy Peralta	David Peterson	Christian Scott	Jonah Tong
	R/R DoB: 2001-07-24	R/R DoB: 2996-06-04	L/L DoB: 1995-09-03	R/R DoB: 1999-06-15	R/R DoB: 2003-06-19
Relief Pitchers
Huascar Brazobán	Sean Manaea	A.J. Minter	Tobias Myers	Brooks Raley	Austin Warren	Luke Weaver
R/R DoB: 1989-10-15	R/L DoB: 1992-02-01	L/L DoB: 1993-09-02	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	Hayden Senger	Luís Torrens	Bo Bichette	Brett Baty	Vidal Brujan	Marcus Semien
R/R DoB: 1994-09-21	R/R DoB: 1997-04-03	R/R DoB: 1996-05-02	R/R DoB: 1998-03-05	L/R DoB: 1999-11-13	S/R DoB: 1998-02-09	R/R DoB: 1990-09-17
Infielders		Outfielders
Mark Vientos	Eric Wagaman	Carson Benge	A.J. Ewing	MJ Melendez	Juan Soto	Jared Young
R/R DoB: 1993-12-11	R/R DoB: 1997-08-14	L/R DoB: 2003-01-20	L/R DoB: 2004-08-10	L/R DoB: 1993-11-29	L/L DoB: 1998-10-25	L/R DoB: 1995-07-09

Also on 40-Player Roster

Starting Pitchers				Relief Pitchers
Clay Holmes	Tylor Megill	Kodai Senga	Zach Thornton	Alex Carrillo	Daniel Duarte	Reed Garrett
R/R DoB: 1993-03-27	R/R DoB: 1995-07-28	L/R DoB: 1993-01-30	L/L DoB: 2002-01-17	R/R DoB: 1997-06-06	R/R DoB: 1996-12-04	R/R DoB: 1993-01-02
Relief Pitchers				Catchers	Infielders
Justin Hagenman	Dedniel Núñez	Jonathan Pintaro	Dylan Ross	Francisco Alvarez	Francisco Lindor	Ronny Mauricio
R/R DoB: 1996-10-07	R/R DoB: 1996-06-05	R/R DoB: 1997-11-07	R/R DoB: 2000-09-01	R/R DoB: 2001-11-01	S/R DoB: 1993-11-14	S/R DoB: 2001-04-04
Infielders	Outfielders
Jorge Polanco	Luis Robert, Jr.	Nick Morabito	Tyrone Taylor
S/R DoB: 1999-11-13	R/R DoB: 1997-08-03	R/R DoB: 2003-05-07	R/R DoB: 1994-01-22

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: