Some returning New York Mets players haven’t let the lack of actual games stop them from falling down the depth chart. At least on paper, the season’s holdovers will see their relevance diminish as new players join.
In particular, the Mets moved three players down the depth chart in one fell swoop. Tyrone Taylor and Adrian Houser’s emergence has these three vying for a position on the roster that once seemed like it belonged to them.
1) Tylor Megill
The position that Tylor Megill could have held has been filled by Houser. You may think of both righties as fifth starters. There are two of those with the Mets. The fact that Megill and Houser are left-handed simply serves to highlight how much more behind the former is currently.
Megill’s precise position in the 2024 plans was never made evident. Early on, it was assumed that he would either go to the bullpen, start the season in the minors, or earn a fifth starting role. There is no indication that the Mets plan to use him as a long-term reliever. In light of this, Megill will probably start the season in Syracuse if the squad can maintain a healthy rotation. Fortunately for Megill, a season requires far more than five starts to be successful.
Houser has no minor league options left, so starting the season with the big league team is a given. Megill appears set for a minor league stint to start the season; the Mets can demote him without having to DFA him. Unless bodies are piling up on the IL, a rotation with Houser and Megill at the start of the season is not going to happen.
2) Joey Lucchesi
Megill, Joey Lucchesi, and even David Peterson—who will be out at the start of the year—are in comparable situations. In 2021, Tommy John Surgery gave Lucchesi a nasty churve. He has spent the last two seasons trying to make a full recovery. He hasn’t stayed in the majors despite occasionally being good.
Adding to the pile of depth components for starting pitchers, his left-handed throwing style sets him apart from Megill and Houser. However, the fact that he can be demoted but not with Houser gives him depth and renders him unworthy of a real Opening Day spot.
This places Megill and Lucchesi on call. There won’t be a clear favorite among the incoming management and front office staff. They might make a lasting first impression with their actions in the spring.
In the end, whether or not they can advance again will depend on how well they play throughout the regular season. In the last year of his contract, Houser isn’t above being let go in the event of calamity. We ought to be ready for any of these players to be shifted to the bullpen as well. Houser and other pitchers were regular starters and relievers for the Milwaukee Brewers throughout Stearns’ time there. Some of these guys may have made 20 relief appearances in addition to 12 starts by the end of 2024.
Put Houser ahead of Lucchesi for the time being in the depth chart. The lefty will have to reclaim his position.
3) DJ Stewart
DJ Stewart was already in a fierce competition to make the MLB roster for the 2024 season’s start. Stewart will probably board an aircraft to Syracuse with Megill, Lucchesi, and Taylor.
Stewart is now able to play for the Mets, but this might change with a bench or starting lineup addition. Is it really going to be Taylor and Stewart on a bench? The Mets will most likely need to stow Stewart on the farm unless they decide to make one of them a starter, which is something we should hope they don’t do.
Taylor’s minor league options are gone, just like Houser’s. Even though Taylor plays in a very different way than Stewart, we may still infer that he would win out in an equalizer. He’s a recent addition. In addition, he is a better defensive player. This is a good fit for a team’s bench when the starting outfielders’ defense is suspect.
Nobody was fooled by Stewart’s spectacular August and modest September performance. We’ll be cheering for him to develop into a long-term fixture with the Mets. Our instinct tells us that you should probably avoid placing a wager on it.