Yesterday, the Mets announced that they have removed catcher Rob Johnson from the 40-man roster and that he is now a free agent. Johnson was actually eligible for arbitration with the Mets, but now that becomes a moot point. He appeared in 17 games for the Mets in 2012 and hit .250 with four RBI in 52 at-bats.
Today, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports that outfielder Fred Lewis has also been removed from the 40-man roster and will likely become a free agent. Lewis batted .294 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI in 419 at-bats for Triple-A Buffalo in 2012 and went 3 for 20 in a September call-up.
With Justin Hampson also being removed from the 40-man earlier in the week, the 40-man roster now stands at 37 as they continue to make room to protect some players from the Rule 5 Draft and also for adding new players this Winter.
