Mets have options as rosters expand from 26 to 28
Mets minor-league prospect Mark Vientos, currently with the Syracuse Mets. Credit: Rick Nelson
Thursday is Sept. 1, which means it is time for one of baseball’s quirkier traditions: Larger rosters for the final month or so of the season.
With so much pandemic-roster roster-size funkiness in recent years, consider this a reminder, too, that expanded rosters now means a jump from 26 players to 28. Gone are the days of up to 40 guys, with gigantic groups of relievers and more players than available lockers.
The Mets, manager Buck Showalter said, have options — so many, in fact, that he wishes the Mets had, say, 30 spots.
“There’s some good ones,” he said Wednesday afternoon. “These are guys who are going to come in and contribute.”
Showalter indicated that the Mets would call up one position player and one pitcher Thursday. Here is a rundown of some of their options.
Hitters
The Mets were uninterested in Vientos enough that they called up an outfielder (Terrance Gore) on Wednesday when third baseman Brett Baty went on the injured list.
“What would you do with him?” Showalter said of Vientos. “What would you do with Ruf?”
Showalter did allow that Vientos is an option, by virtue of being on the 40-man roster, but added: “We’re hoping he finishes up strong down there and completes a pretty good season.”
Pitchers
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
