This will be the final season that teams can have their entire 40-man roster active if they choose do so. Starting in 2020, rosters will expand to only 28 players in September.
Pitchers Walker Lockett, Eric Hanhold, Drew Gagnon, Daniel Zamora, Corey Oswalt, Stephen Nogosek, Chris Flexen, Donnie Hart, and Tyler Bashlor are all on the 40-man, have already pitched in the majors, and are likely call-ups, so I’m not going to focus on them.
Instead, I’m going to look at players not currently on the Mets 40-man roster that would make sense. With that said, the potential returns of Brandon Nimmo and Jed Lowrie could really hurt the cases of these players. Nimmo and Lowrie are currently on the 60-day injured list which means they don’t occupy an actual spot on the 40.
The Mets 40-man roster is sitting at 39 as we speak with Nimmo likely back any day pushing it to full at 40. Lowrie has played in back-to-back days in Syracuse making it look like he will return as well. The Mets would likely have to DFA one of the previously mentioned pitchers to make room. Robert Gsellman and Robinson Cano being moved to the 60-day could end up being options but that would end their seasons and both are hoping to return.
Here’s my out-of-the-box September call-ups:
Sam Haggerty – Utility
The 25-year-old was acquired by the Mets during the offseason with Lockett when the Mets sent catcher Kevin Plawecki to the Indians. He currently ranks as the Mets No. 17 prospect according to FanGraphs.
While he was named the best defensive second baseman in the Eastern League this season, he has spent time at third base, shortstop, left field, right field, and center field as well.
The switch hitter was slashing .259/.370/.356 with a 120 wRC+ and 19 stolen bases for the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies in 68 games before his recent promotion. He has a .881 OPS in his first 11 games for the Triple-A Syracuse Mets. Known for his ability to get on base (career .355 OBP) he was also named the Eastern League’s best baserunner.
If Lowrie and Cano both return there would likely be no room on the 40-man roster or need on the active roster for Haggerty. On key note that could come into play is that he’s Rule 5 eligible this offseason.
Photo by Ed Delany, MMO
Matt Blackham – RHP
Even since the Mets drafted Blackham in the 29th round of the 2014 draft he’s been a guy that has a strong ERA, strikeouts a ton of guys, limits home runs, and issues a high amount of walks. Control has been a bit better in 2019 (4.6 BB/9) for the right-hander than 2018 (5.4 BB/9) though obviously still higher than you would like to see.
He has a 2.38 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 11.7 K/9 over 53 innings this season between Binghamton and Syracuse. His opponents batting average of .150 is tied for 9th lowest in the minors of 1612 pitchers with at least 50 innings thrown. His 32.2 K% ranks tops among Mets minor league pitchers and his 13.9 swinging striking percentage ranks fourth among Mets full season pitchers.
The 26-year-old features a fastball in the 91-95 mph range that he complements with a knuckle-curve that he likes to use as his swing-and-miss pitch. The Rule 5 eligible righty will also use an occasional changeup. In high school, Blackham had two surgeries to repair a growth plate in his elbow that popped out during a pitch. Then he missed the entire 2016 season following a ulnar nerve transposition surgery and surgery for an olecranon fracture in his pitching elbow.
Ryder Ryan – RHP
There were plenty of jokes made about Ryan when the Mets acquired him in 2017 from the Indians for Jay Bruce. The former North Carolina third baseman would post a 2.08 ERA in 13 innings for Columbia following the trade. In 2018, he pitched to a 3.23 ERA and 10.0 K/9 between St. Lucie and Binghamton.
This season in Double-A, the 24-year-old has a 3.05 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and has allowed only two home runs in 44.1 innings. The numbers are even better when you take out the eight runs he allowed over 4 1/3 innings in two emergency starts.
Opponents are hitting just .176/.289/.279 off Ryan as a reliever this year. The one issue for Ryan this season has been the walks, he has a career-worst 4.7 BB/9. He throws a mid-90’s four-seamer and a slider that has been consistently above average.
Nick Rumbelow – RHP
Who you might be wondering? The Mets low-key signed Rumbelow two weeks ago out of the Atlantic League where he was pitching for the Sugar Land Skeeters. The right-handed reliever actually started the season on the Opening Day roster for the Seattle Mariners, but was released in June. He also has major league experience with the Yankees back in 2015.
In only four appearances for Triple-A Syracuse, Rumbelow has allowed one run on four hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. He’s a four-pitch reliever with a four-seamer in the mid-90’s. He also throw a slider 84-88, curve, and changeup.
Photo: Ed Delany, MMO
Ali Sanchez – C
The Mets currently only have two healthy catchers on the 40-man roster with Tomas Nido on the injured list with a concussion. Sanchez – much like Blackham, Ryan, and Haggerty – is eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason. I would think his defense alone is enough to make him a safe bet to get added, hence why I believe there’s an outside chance of seeing him with the Mets in September.
Sanchez, 22, is a plus receiver, has plus arm strength, and has been praised for his working relationships with pitchers. He’s thrown out 48% of would-be basestealers in 2600 minor league innings.
The right-handed hitter was slashing .278/.337/.337 in Binghamton when he was promoted to Syracuse. He has struggled there with a .554 OPS in 18 games. He does make contact as shown by his low career strikeout numbers (17.7% this year in AA).
Mets also have catcher Patrick Mazeika in Double-A that is Rule 5 eligible if they decided to go more of the offensive route (16 HR/69 RBI this year).
Dilson Herrera – Utility
Some Mets fans were dismayed when Ruben Tejada received a call up over Herrera earlier this month. The former Mets prospect is hitting .250/.332/.508 with 29 doubles, 24 homers, and 63 RBI this year for Syracuse. He’s also struck out 125 times in 452 at-bats. He’s really struggled recently with a .718 OPS in August.
Herrera, somehow still 25, has played second base, third base, first base, left field, and right field this year.
Other names to consider are Syracuse utility-man Arismendy Alcantara, Syracuse right-handed starters Harol Gonzalez and Ervin Santana, and Binghamton right-handed relievers Adonis Uceta and Stephen Villines.
Remember, these are my out-of-the-box choices and it’s far more likely that you will simply see guys already on the 40-man roster and players coming back from injury.
