Photo by Ed Delany, MMO
With the way his career has gone to this point, Keon Broxton is the type of guy that should be playing for his job.
However, despite inconsistent major league stints over the past four seasons, Broxton is virtually guaranteed to make the Mets’ Opening Day roster because he is out of minor league options (i.e., can’t be sent to the minors without being exposed to the other 29 teams on waivers).
While Broxton is the only Met out of options, there are several players who are just one year away from facing the same situation. A final option year can be viewed as a final chance of sorts to prove to the front office that they belong on the major league roster for good. If the team isn’t convinced, the player could end up being traded to an organization that is more likely to carry him in the majors or face an outright assignment and removal from the roster.
Below are the four members of the Mets’ 40-man roster who enter the 2019 season with one option remaining. While Robert Gsellman, Steven Matz, and Brandon Nimmo also have one option left, they were in the same situation going into 2018 and are unlikely to be sent to the minors this year either.
Chris Flexen
Options used in 2017 and 2018; current major league service time: 0 years, 82 days
Flexen had only one full, injury-free minor league season under his belt before the Mets protected him from the Rule 5 Draft. Thus, he’s spent the last two years battling more injuries and still developing as a pitcher while he burns minor league options.
Although he’s still only 24, Flexen simply hasn’t shown that he’s a major league pitcher yet. He clearly wasn’t ready for the 48.0 innings he threw straight of Double-A in 2017, and he wasn’t given much of an opportunity in 2018, working only 6.1 innings over four outings.
Perhaps a restart in Syracuse can get things to click for him, but Flexen’s low-90s-fastball-reliant profile doesn’t suggest that he’ll be much of a rotation option in 2019. He has already been optioned out of major league camp after making three appearances in Spring Training games.
Walker Lockett
Options used in 2017 and 2018; current major league service time: 0 years, 18 days
Lockett, the main piece acquired for Kevin Plawecki in January, doesn’t have pretty minor league numbers on the back of his baseball card, but he undoubtedly has fans in the front office. He was sent back and forth between the majors and minors by the Padres frequently in 2018 and ultimately only threw 15.0 uninspiring innings.
The Mets believe Lockett will serve a useful role on the major league team in 2018, but another season spent on the Quad-A shuttle doesn’t give him much of a future in the organization. Like Flexen, Lockett has already been optioned.
Tomas Nido
Options used in 2017 and 2018; current major league service time: 0 years, 95 days
Nido, some evaluators believe, will eventually get to the point where his bat comes around and supplements his already strong glove and become a solid major league catcher. It just hasn’t happened yet, and time is not on his side.
With the Mets signing Wilson Ramos and re-signing Devin Mesoraco, Nido is back to being buried on the depth chart. Presently, there isn’t a path for him to see big league playing time in 2019 — barring injuries — which will likely lead the team to move on from the 25-year-old at season’s end. There may be a scenario in which, following Travis d’Arnaud‘s impending free agency, the Mets decide to roll with Nido and Ramos’ backup, but given the fact that Nido has yet to even spend a full season in Triple-A, that seems unlikely.
Jacob Rhame
Options used in 2017 and 2018; current major league service time: 0 years, 139 days
After making the Opening Day roster, Rhame was optioned or recalled an incredible 18 times in 2018. Unable to get into a consistent groove, he pitched to a 5.85 ERA in 30 major league outings, while faring better in Las Vegas with a 3.06 mark.
It isn’t inconceivable to think that Rhame could serve a useful role in the bullpen if given an extended look — one where he isn’t up and down from Triple-A all year — but he’s on the outside looking in with the current version of the bullpen and could find himself off the major league roster soon if his spot is needed for a veteran on a minor league deal such as Luis Avilan or Hector Santiago, among others.
Rhame was optioned to minor league camp Tuesday morning.
