The Mets once again proved to care more about financials than long-term, sustainable success on Saturday when Mickey Callaway announced the team’s plan to move Corey Oswalt to the bullpen in favor of keeping Jason Vargas in the rotation.

While the organization has likely pointed to each of their recent starts as the reasoning for the decision, everyone knows that had very little to do with the verdict, acting more so as an excuse to execute this move.

For reference, Oswalt allowed four runs in six innings in his last start against the Philadelphia Phillies while Vargas delivered his longest start of the season against the Baltimore Orioles, which lasted six innings while he only allowed two runs.

Vargas, 35, though, has been absolutely atrocious this season for the team, having a 2-8 record to go along with an atrocious 8.10 ERA and 1.78 WHIP. He also has 44 strikeouts as compared to 23 walks in 53 1/3 innings of work (13 starts)

Oswalt has not been super impressive this season either, but better than Vargas. In nine games (eight starts), the 24-year-old has a 2-2 record to go along with a 5.16 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. In 45 1/3 innings, he registered 28 strikeouts in comparison to 10 walks.

Now, while nothing in there screams that he is a strong starting pitcher, there is something to note in all of that. Oswalt has pitched six innings in four of his eight starts and five innings or more in each of his last six starts (three qualifying as quality starts).

Meanwhile, Vargas has only pitched six innings in one of his 13 starts and pitched five innings or more in six of his starts all year, despite the fact that he had the reputation of being an “innings eater” for the majority of his career.

While, yes, we are not exactly talking about an uber-talented pitcher against an overpaid veteran, there is a clear better choice to be have been made here.

Vargas should have been the one sent to the bullpen, but we all know the reason that didn’t happen was because he is in the first year of a two-year, $16 million contract with an option for the 2020 season.

Oswalt, though, is currently a rookie making the major league minimum salary, therefore, the team is not nearly as interested in placing him in the rotation unless he really impresses them.

If the team turned a blind eye on contract matters, though, there is a clear good choice to be made here. One of these pitchers is an aging veteran that has little to no future with this team long-term, while the other has a legitimate chance of carving out a back-end rotation spot for himself if given ample opportunity down the stretch this year.

The Mets chose the former, much like they have been doing all year. They’ve resisted the idea of allowing younger, cheaper players to get their chances in favor of more expensive and older veterans that the team refuses to deem as sunk costs at this stage.