With Opening Day just nine days away against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field, the New York Mets are in the process of forming their roster for the beginning of the regular season. This evening, as the Mets are set to play a spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals, the team made another round of cuts. For this round, these lists of players include:
- RHP Kyle Crick
- OF Ben Gamel
- RHP Yacksel Rios
- INF Yolmer Sanchez
- RHP Cole Sulser
- OF Trayce Thompson
It’s a tough day for a player like Thompson, who did make some noise at the start of spring. He hit two home runs and drove in 6 RBI on six hits this spring, including a grand slam in a game against the Washington Nationals. However, he struck out 11 times in 26 plate appearances and batted .250 with a .308 OBP. Thompson, now 33 years old, needed to make more noise to give himself a chance for a roster spot. It was going to be tough for him to make it with Tyrone Taylor and potentially D.J. Stewart as depth pieces in the outfield. Sanchez only batted .200 in 26 plate appearances, and Gamel batted .182 this spring.
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Other Players On The Bubble
Several players are currently on the bubble, with their performances in spring training potentially determining their fate.
Luke Voit and Ji-Man Choi, who will soon have opt-outs, are among them. Choi has had an impressive spring, showcasing his hitting skills with a .771 OPS and solid defense at first base. Voit, a familiar face to the Mets, recently hit his first home run of the spring. José Iglesias, who hit walk-off home run against the Miami Marlins, and Zach Short, who stepped up in the absence of Jeff McNeil, are also players to watch.
In the bullpen, Sean-Reid Foley is competing for a spot and hasn’t allowed a hit in four shutout innings of work. Phil Bickford, meanwhile, has been up-and-down coming off a tough 2023. Yohan Ramirez, who is out of options, has thrown six shutout innings with six strikeouts. Shintaro Fujinami continues to have command issues, and Jorge López has been inconsistent. José Butto is another name to look out for to make the Opening Day roster.
Eight Games Left
With the clock ticking and only nine days left until Opening Day, these players on the bubble have only eight games remaining, including tonight’s game, to make their case for the roster. Mets management will have some interesting decisions to make in the coming days.
The team has until Opening Day to finalize its 26-man roster, and there are few open spots.
