At this point, all three are worthless calories.
Last chance to eat leftover Thanksgiving food. By Monday morning, the appeal of the leftovers is gone. There isn’t nearly as much urgency for the New York Mets to get rid of their roster leftovers. David Stearns has already made a significant amount of space available. And who is still standing?
Out of all the players on the 40-man roster, these three are the most important to discard before someone unintentionally nibbles.
1. Sean Reid-Foley
Having Sean Reid-Foley in the minor leagues is perfectly acceptable. The issue is that he currently has no options and is listed on the 40-man roster. In his brief time with the Mets in 2023, he walked six in addition to striking out a stunning 16 in 7.2 innings of work. The Mets find him fascinating. They brought him back after they had previously released and DFA’d him, and by late in the season, he had made it to the major leagues.
Barring an injury, we can safely assume that SRF won’t be with the Mets on Opening Day. He can remain on the 40-man roster for the duration of the winter, with the understanding that he will be cut before the season if necessary.
Reid-Foley is the cranberry sauce of leftovers, if you will. Although it’s nice to have, after the big day itself you probably won’t need it. True cranberry sauce fans are only grandmothers. It’s difficult to get overly excited about an odd gelatin flavored after a fruit you don’t even typically eat when you know there’s pie of any kind waiting in the refrigerator.
2. Phil Bickford
Reid-Foley is in the same predicament as Phil Bickford. His minor league options are now gone. If Stearns needs to hang onto one, he can probably justify it. It is not possible for either.
During his August stint with the Mets, Bickford got warmed up early and calmed down in September. Overall, the numbers are not very encouraging. Bickford had a 4.62 ERA in 25.1 innings of work and was 3-2 overall.
What gives him the advantage in any pitching contest between Reid-Foley and him is a solid conclusion and a track record of pitching slightly better in the majors in previous seasons. A 7.36 ERA in August put Bickford on the DFA bubble, but a 0.84 ERA in September and October ought to put him on too fast of a hook. Even though it’s improbable that Bickford will finally find success with the Mets, he ought to be selected over a pitcher like Reid-Foley.
Numerous other pitchers that are part of the Mets’ 40-man roster could have contributed to this list. The Mets can send any of them down to Syracuse, which makes a difference. They are an edible leftover that can be frozen.
Bickford not. He’s a yam left over. You have to move fast once those decide to take root.
3. Omar Narvaez
It is far simpler to move on from Omar Narvaez than Starling Marte. This is examining it from both a talent and financial perspective. Last offseason, the Mets were able to successfully trade James McCann to the Baltimore Orioles. Could they accomplish the same thing this time?
However, Marte is earning significantly more money. This coming year, even if he is in regress mode, his chances of recovering are much higher. Steve Cohen will only swallow so much cash at a time. Relying on them to relocate Marte to a new location is akin to anticipating harmony among your relatives at the Thanksgiving feast. Someone holds political views that, in the past, you can be sure would have resulted in their execution by stake. Another seems like a nice guy, but you know you’ll see them on some true crime show about a new age cult down the road.
Since Francisco Alvarez has become so successful, Narvaez is no longer even necessary. Michael Perez, Tomas Nido, or any number of backup catchers are all more than worthy. Neither in the payroll department nor on the field is Narvaez with his $7 million contract for 2024 the solution.
When you realize that Narvaez, the more expensive wine you assumed you had purchased for after the Thanksgiving dinner, is actually alcohol-free champagne. When they want to drink something on New Year’s to feel a little more grown-up, not even the kids like the taste. At this point, it might just hang around until the expiration date. Perhaps not. Perhaps the Mets are able to put this leftover behind them. The holidays in December are almost here. What more are you going to give your neighbors, with whom you don’t share any interests or knowledge, but who you share a boundary with and don’t mind the odd small talk with?