The New York Mets are simply playing out the string at this point, with only 32 games left to go in the disappointing 2017 season. The calendar also indicates that the last full month of the season begins in just four days, leading to the ridiculousness of 40 man rosters in September. The Mets have taken full advantage of the 40 man roster size over the past few years, adding extra bullpen arms and bench players to fortify their roster for playoff runs. This year is a bit different, however, with the Mets using September to simply evaluate which young players can help them next season. Here’s a look at some candidates to be added to the roster after September 1st:
Tomas Nido or Xorge Carillo: The Mets will look to add a third catcher once rosters expand in order to give themselves more flexibility in late game situations. Nido is the only other catcher on the 40 man roster but he has had an underwhelming year, batting .238 with eight homers and 58 RBI’s in AA Binghamton. If the Mets don’t want to expose Nido to the majors yet they could add Triple-A catcher Xorge Carillo to the big league roster in September. Carillo has had a solid year with the Las Vegas 51’s, batting .277 with eight homers and 42 RBI’s in 64 games, and could easily be removed from the 40 man roster once the season concludes.
Several Injured Players: The Mets will likely use September to reintegrate several of their injured players to the big league roster. Jeurys Familia has already returned from the disabled list and Matt Harvey isn’t far behind, with a return potentially coming as soon as this weekend. The Mets are also hoping to see Noah Syndergaard and T.J. Rivera make their way back to the majors before the season is over, and there is even an outside shot that David Wright could cameo as well. The only players who are essentially shut down for the season are Michael Conforto, Zack Wheeler, and Steven Matz.
Robert Gsellman and Kevin McGowan: The Mets sent down Gsellman after his last poor start, when he gave up six runs in four innings of work, to make room for the return of Seth Lugo from the disabled list. McGowan will also be sent down today to get the Mets back to a 25 man roster following Sunday’s doubleheader. Both will likely be back after the requisite 10 days in the minor leagues to add some depth to the pitching rotation.
Jacob Rhame and Jamie Callahan: The Mets will likely use September to give a few of the prospects they acquired in their salary dump trades a chance to show they can help the big league bullpen next season. Rhame and Callahan are the two closest to reaching the major leagues, so expect both of them to earn a big league shot after September 1st. Callahan needs to be added to the 40 man roster, while Rhame is already on it, but both should have every opportunity to demonstrate why they can be factors in 2018.
There are several other players who could get added to the 40 man roster, such as defensive shortstop Luis Guillorme from AA Binghamton or former big league reliever Jonathan Albaladejo, but the aforementioned players are the most likely to chip in during the last month of the season. The list certainly isn’t as flashy as it has been in recent years, but the best the Mets can hope for is that their injured veterans come back healthy and that a young bullpen arm or two demonstrates the potential to be a contributor next season.
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