18
2012
Let’s Trim The Fat Off The Mets 40-Man Roster
An article by 
Let’s get a move on Sandy!
What is taking Sandy Alderson so long to make roster cuts? The Mets have been making moves over the last few days as they begin to trim the fat off of the 40-man roster. The one problem I have is, why is it taking so long to make the cuts? According to Alderson he already knows who’s coming and going, so lets get on with it Sandy!
So far we have cut Rob Johnson, Justin Hampson, and now Fred Lewis. This team needs to overhaul as much of this team as possible, so I am fairly certain that the cuts we have seen thus far won’t be the end. Sandy has much more work to do, but lets take a look at who should be removed.
Here is the Mets current 40-Man Roster, which currently stands at 37 active players. (Note that Byrdak, Gee and Pelfrey are not active.)
Lets trim the fat!
Of pitchers listed here I don’t see the need for Robert Carson to be protected, nor do I wish to see another year of Manny Acosta. I would bring Chris Young back as insurance once again, but not on the 40-man roster. If he wants a spot he will have to sign another minor league deal. Everybody else can stay as they are potential starters, bullpen arms or trade pieces.
For the hitters I don’t see the need for Andres Torres to stay. The Mets should decline his arbitration and let him walk free. With the exception of the stellar year he had in 2010, he is what we saw this past season, a good backup with quality speed and defense. I think the team needs to make a decision between Thole and Nickeas. Both are poor offensive players, and neither is exception defensively. I would cut one of them, more likely Nickeas.
I would also take a long look at Zach Lutz and Reese Havens. Lutz has not wowed us with his play in the minors, and do you really care if someone takes Havens? Reese has little to no trade value since he can never stay on the field. Because of that reason he can’t be counted on for a future second base spot as we had hoped. Time to cut the rope with him.
Finally, we get to Scott Hairston, Ronny Cedeno, and Tim Byrdak. All three players are unrestricted free agents. Byrdak is coming off a injury and is 37 years old. His time may have run out here in flushing, unless he comes back at a bargain, which in my opinion should be a minor league deal. I would take both Hairston and Cedeno back as bench options. With Cedeno that is a possibility, but Hairston may have priced himself out on New York and earned a starting job somewhere else. Of the three I only see Cedeno returning.
So with these moves the Mets will be able to cut down from the current 37 active players to 28. This enables them to activate Dillon Gee, and add Zach Wheeler which would bring them to 30 total. That would leave Sandy 10 open spots to add players via trade or free agency.
This is what I would do, what about you? Or better yet, what will Sandy do?
About the Author: Dan Valis
I am a staff writer for Mets Merized Online. I am a Mets team analyst with a focus on the minor league system, as well as the major league club. I am a lifelong New Yorker who was born and raised to be a Mets fan. The ups and downs of being a Mets fan is what makes following this team so much fun, but at times so frustrating. You can follow me on Twitter @BgAppleMetsTalk.
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I agree with Acosta, Young, Torres , Byrdak, and Lutz. I don’t think Young will be back. He can find a ML job somewhere. Torres is terrible IMO and there are other, younger, guys to fill a BU roll. However, I would hold on to Hairston. He may be back next year lets face it he was our best OF’r last year. I wouldn’t drop Reese unless I had a better option for the spot he may be injury prone but it costs us little until the spot is needed. I liked Ceden’o he showed me alot in his limited play. The 40 man is an odd duck, some players just hold on for years without producing anything and others are bumped after a shaky september. Whatever Sandy does I am sure it will be with budget in mind and a measure of calculated risk.
Why should he rush the process just to please your anxiety?
You are acting as though free agency started and we’re missing the boat on someone, or that teams are making trades during the postseason.
Who cares?
We already know Byrdak isn’t coming back and probably Hairston, but they cant file for free agency until 5 days after the end of the world series.
If it makes you feel better you can get some whiteout and blank out their names. Do you know if other teams have completed all their 40 man roster moves? I can assure you none of them have.
You’re being a bit irrational.
You can call it a bit irrational if that is what you prefer.
I choose to call it skepticism.
I just don’t believe that Sandy will make all the changes he has said he will or needs to make.
This is Sandy’s roster shake up.
Gone: Acosta, Byrdak, Carson, Elvin Ramirez, Jon Rauch, Mike Nickeas, Zach Lutz, Scott Hairston, Andres Torres
Maybe: Ramon Ramirez, Chris Young, Kelly Shoppach, Josh Thole, Ronny Cedeno, Mike Pelfrey
Adds: Dillon Gee, Zach Wheeler
Maybe Adds?: Dylan Owen, Josh Satin, Brad Holt, Darin Gorski, Juan Centeno, Jefry Marte, Chris Schwinden
Half those guys dont need to be added to the 40 man roster since they arent eligible for the Rule 5.
I would not get rid of Reese Havens, give him another year, hopefully the injuries are behind him for good. I wouldnt take Carson off the 40 man roster either, he and Edgin should be our two lefties out of the pen next year, someone would take him if he was left unprotected. I agree with everything else you suggest, trim the fat
Mssrmetfan – Agreed. No need to part with Carson or Havens. I have Carson penciled in with Edgin to be our 1-2 lefty punch out of the bullpen, although I think we should explore bringing back Hisnori Takahashi – he was so versatile and a lefty.
You’d hate to give up on a talent like Havens. Initially, I thought he was a better draft pick than Ike Davis, but he simply hasn’t stayed healthy. I’d like to see whether he can recover his form somehow. He appeared to have a lot of grit – good fielding 2nd baseman with power. It’s too soon to give up on him.
Most of the other guys are expendable, or we simply won’t be able to re-sign. SA has to balance the issue of who he should release against the player or players that he would lose in the Rule 5 draft by leaving them unprotected.
As an addendum, I think the real 40-man roster issue will emerge after next season when SA has the capability of adding pieces through free agency.
Well Dan really what is the rush here?
I agree with you we are not going to see any major changes true but it’s not because of the roster limitations it’s the lack of making moves.
Cutting these guys before the need to protect players from Rule 5 is only ensuring fewer trade chips to use until that point.
While we may feel Acosta is not worth having there might just be a team that thinks he is and will give up one of thiers they don’t feel is worth keeping that fits a need we have.
Cutting players nets you nothing but a roster spot and if you don’t have someone to immediatly take thier place on it there really is no point to the cut unless it actually saves you money which none of these cuts really do.
We say we want to get a Catcher well anyone who trades you one is going to want SOME catching back even if it’s just someone to serve as the 3rd catcher who doesn’t cost a lot because they already have a guy to be #1 and #2 for them.
We should be looking to see who might have some interest in these guys before we cut them and see if they might serve as filler to some other deal we would like to make.
And until we actually need the roster spot (which we don’t until December or acquire a player) these cuts are just rushing and throwing away assets that could be useful.
No ned to cut all these folks now because Sandy isn’t going to be announcing anyone coming here until long after the WS is over if at all!
Carson should be protected. They have no shot at signing Young to a minor league deal, his performance in 2012 will get him a major league deal for $3 mil minimum. Also, he will not sign with the Mets unless they deal one of the proected starting 5. Acosta is very iffy and may be at risk based upon what bullpen acquisitions are consummated. If they resign DW, Lutz spot is iffy – based on room he will probably go before Havens. They will try to stick with Havens for one more year at AAA so long as it doesn’t cause them to expose a better player in the rule 5 draft. They need to make room for others besides Wheeler. Do you have a list of those that will be rule 5 eligible?
Why is there no reason to protect Carson? Oh so get rid of an in house bullpen option that actually proved himself? I hope you remember our bullpen was atrocious. I would get rid of elvin ramirez instead. Ramon Ramirez, Rauch, Young, Byrdak, and Pelfrey should go from a pitching standpoint. Havens, Lutz, Torres, Nickeas, and maybe Cedeno and Thole should go from a hitting standpoint
Not a Acosta or Pelfrey fan and would rather protect a minor leaguer or Carson (lefty).
I don’t understand why you’d leave Carson unprotected? He’s a real asset.
Relax… Most teams haven’t granted FA to anyone above minor league guys.
Elvin Ramirez isn’t going anywhere
I love it. Why doesnt Sandy make all these moves now? Have you bothered to read the Collective Bargaining Agreement or the procedures for off season moves? Evidently not.
To start, Cedeno, Hairston, Rauch, R. Ramirez, Shoppach, Young, and Byrdak are all removed from the 40 man roster immediately after the World Series. Alderson doesnt have to remove them. They are gone/
Torres and Pelfrey will most likely not be tendered and thus will have to be removed since they become free agents. The date that Alderson has to decide is Nov. 30th. The Rule 5 draft isnt until Dec. 6th so the 40 man doesnt need to be set until the Winter Meetings start.
Acosta, Havens, and Nickeas might also be dropped. Gee is added back in from the 60 day DL as are the minor league players who need protecting like Wheeler. It is unlikely that anyone from the above FA list will be resigned before the winter meetings but if they are, or anyone else, those people go on. The Mets will have plenty of room on their 40 man roster.
It is tough to remain patient with a team that has been bad for so long. It is going on 30 years since this organization was something to be reckoned with. Instead, we had a couple of episodes where the immediate fix it plans produced a playoff berth or two. But everyone needs to understand that this organization is being built from the bottom up and that takes time.
Nice comment and good luck.
Name all the players added to this bottom?
Wheeler and…..
If your building a team from the bottom up you don’t refuse to sign half your draft class!
$1.9M signing bonus in the International Pool (Highest in Mets history)
9 of the Mets top 20 prospects in their system (according the Baseball America) arrived since Alderson got here. That is the bottom up.
we spent 1.9 on 1 player…or all the IFA’s combined?
Rosario and Patino cost around $1.9 mil on their own, then there are the other 30 or so IFAs.
9 our of 20. WHAHOOO! Another guy taking stats to a fools end. Guess what, in two years all of Omar’s kids who reached the bigs are off the list, all the guys who left the org are off and all the guys who don’t make it to the bigs start dropping. But congrats on another false praise move for the failure known as the Mets GM.
How many would be on the BA list if Davis, Murphy, Duda, Harvey, Gee, Tejada, Valdespin were not brought up to the MLB team this year?
Voice of reason.
Guys, i was just making a point about Sandy’s lack of moves over the past few off-seasons. He has been all talk and very little action.
I am very clear on the whole free agency guidelines, and simply stated who I felt should be gone off the clubs roster when they are able to be removed.
Not all the players I listed were free agents, and some are eligible to be cut now, as you saw with Lewis, Johnson and Hampson.
I’m sorry, but Reese havens, Robert Carson and any other bum AAAA players the Mets have will make a real impact on this team when we and if we ever get back to respectability.
The Mets always have Robert Carsons and Reese Haven’s…but they almost always fail at the major league level or get hurt like F-Mart.
It’s time to cut the cord and get some real players in here…players that will actually win and make a difference.
We always have hope as Mets fans with players…remember Collin McHugh…Yeah he was great his next time out.
Only the top guys will pan out from our system…we never have any surprises…and this group we have now is no different. Wheeler and Harvey as starters, Mejia and Familia in the pen and maybe Flores (when he finds a position) could be guys who help is get back to winning….but it won’t be any of the other AAAA players mentioned in this comment thread.
Why are you giving up on Carson so quickly? He’s a young lefty that throws gas, and pitched okay in the limited time he was up here. This team is desperate for relief pitching, so getting rid of a taltened young pitcher would be a big mistake.
Where does Edgin stack up in your assessment of the Mets minor league system? He was not a top prospect, more like one of those AAAA guys.
Hey guys…according to Matt Cerrone…64% of met fans think the team is headed in the right direction
http://metsblog.com/metsblog/poll-results-64-of-metsblog-voters-say-mets-are-on-right-track/#disqus_thread
I guess 64% of the fans are:
1 – on drugs
2 – the same bots that voted for the giants in the ASG
3 – Wilpon friends and family
4 – people who overheard rumors of the wilpons selling the team
5 – all of the above
And we care why?
LOL…
It’s that time of year. I’m seeing all kinds of filler and hot stove type posts this week.
AA has one up tonight on would you trade ARod for Tejada. You just know if your first thought is not only ‘No’, but ‘Hell No’, folks are gonna click on it to see what it’s all about.
Heck, Pin Striped Bible had a post go up an hour after the Yankees were swept on Time To Start Working, tasking the brain trusts in their FO to get on the stick…and the phones.
Because this organization STILL does not get it.
Rather than just focus on trying to improve the product…
they are still concerned with the image of the product…
being concerned with image has led to the majority of the issues that have plagued this team for decades
that is all
No it’s just the people on MB who take the time to vote on a meaningless pole end up with that percentage.
Take it here you might get the opposite and take it at TRDM or AA you most likely get 50/50.
Still no reason to get hung up on it.
If 64% of Met fans actually think that then why aren’t they buying tickets and going to see them?
This article is terrible and ill informed. Why would you add Wheeler before he makes the team or is called up and how can you take Carson off the roster?
I find it amazing that this website is so short of content that they would actually print this.
I agree about carson (he will stay on) but Wheeler has to be added to the 40 man roster before the rule 5 draft.
What’s with all these new people migrating here from Metsblog? Shouldn’t they have to pass some sort of Mets aptitude test and the MLB Bar exam before allowing them to post.
Maniac, i think they’re being sent out as spies… There’s an intern position open and whoever can gather the most info gets the job
Marty you realize how foolish your comment is? You have no idea that Wheeler has to be placed on the 40 do you? You learned something here today. Keep your mouth shut when you don’t have a clue
thanks Raylo, i was just about the write the same response!
Carson is a dog and even if used him against just lefthanders, he’s simply not that good. Lutz is 26 and looks like your classic AAAA hitter. He doesn’t need to waste a spot and neither of these two would be picked up by any team in rule 5. Someone will take a shot on Havens and surprisingly he could stick because even if he were to get hurt the DL counts as MLB service time you might remember Beato spending time on the DL. I wouldn’t cut him yet until we really had no choice. In fact, I’d challenge him in spring training and let him get a chance to unseat Murphy if he is still here.
Can anyone explain why Hampson was cut? He was pretty good last year. I’d love to see if he can put together a whole season. Edgin and Carson have options. Worst case you have an extra trade chip, best you have a productive lefty for the bullpen.