Dude, the offseason is already looking wild, right? We’re heading into some serious uncertainty for the Mets and the whole league. But before we get totally lost in what ifs, we gotta reset our heads on this 40-man roster. With Jorge Polanco, Reed Garrett, and Tylor Megill all coming off the 60-day IL, we’re actually looking at 43 players crammed onto that 40-man right now. Decisions need to happen fast, especially with the Rule 5 draft looming. Who’s in, who’s out, and who’s gonna be a shocker?
The Guaranteed Money Crunch
Let’s talk about the guaranteed contracts for 2027. There are nine guys locked in right now. Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor? Those guys are absolute locks, no question, unless Lindor gets traded, which, c’mon. Luis Torrens also looks like a lock with his low salary and recent extension. Bo Bichette, despite all the chatter, probably opts in because his performance this year has been good enough.
But then you look at Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, and Devin Williams. It’d be super tough to move any of them without eating most of their money, and that’s just counterproductive. So, they’re probably sticking around. That leaves us with Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco, and I’m telling you, at least one of them isn’t going to be on the roster next season. The smart money is on Semien getting moved. His poor performance this year isn’t about injury, man, this just looks like an aging player who is absolutely cooked. Plus, he’s blocking a bunch of prospects like Jefferson Rojas, Emilien Pitre, and Mitch Voit who are ready to roll. And honestly, he’s way more likely to throw a fit if he gets benched. The Mets would be smart to just eat the money and move him, or even cut him. So, assuming one of them is gone, that opens up one spot, bringing the 40-man down to 42.
Arbitration Headaches and Young Guns
Next up, the ten arbitration-eligible guys, and wow, there are some names here. Cristian Pache, Cristopher Morel, and Cionel Pérez look like obvious non-tenders to me. And Mark Vientos? There’s just no way he can be on the 2027 roster, period. He’s gotta be gone, whether by trade or non-tender. These four are freeing up some serious space. Most of the other arbitration players are either cheap or good enough to hold onto, like Francisco Alvarez and Reed Garrett.
Then there’s Brett Baty. He’s been just good enough that I think he sticks around. But if the Mets don’t want to shell out $2M+ for him in arbitration, he could easily be on the move too. For now, we’re assuming he stays, but those four definite non-tenders open up four more spots. That brings the total 40-man count down to a much more manageable 38.
And finally, you’ve got eleven pre-arbitration players who are totally safe. Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Jonah Tong (though he could be a trade piece, not just cut for space), Nate Lavender, Zac Thornton, Hayden Senger (our third catcher stand-in), Jared Young, Carson Benge, and A.J. Ewing. These are the young guys, the future.
So, the Mets have some seriously tough decisions ahead for this offseason, getting that 43-man roster down to 40. Keep an eye on Semien and Vientos, those are the big question marks. It’s gonna be a wild ride watching this roster take shape!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Amazin’ Avenue.
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