In a few weeks, we’ll be running a two-team mock expansion draft here at MLBTR – just for the fun of it! Currently, we’re creating 15-player protected lists for each of the existing 30 teams. You can catch up on the rules for player eligibility here.
The American League results are in! Click here to see who’s protected and who’s available for each AL team.
So far, we’ve covered the Marlins, Braves, Cardinals, Pirates, Brewers, Reds, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Dodgers, Padres, Giants, Rangers, Mariners, Athletics, Angels, Astros, Twins, Royals, Tigers, Indians, White Sox, Rays, Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles. The Mets are up next.
First, we’ll begin by removing free agents Jed Lowrie, Rick Porcello, Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Wilson, Michael Wacha, Marcus Stroman, Jake Marisnick, Wilson Ramos, Brad Brach, and Dellin Betances from consideration. The latter three have 2021 options, but we will consider them free agents for this exercise. Robinson Cano and Jacob deGrom will make the protected list by virtue of their no-trade clauses. We’ll protect a total of a dozen players out of the gate:
Robinson Cano
Jacob deGrom
Pete Alonso
Jeff McNeil
Noah Syndergaard
Michael Conforto
Amed Rosario
Brandon Nimmo
J.D. Davis
Steven Matz
Edwin Diaz
Seth Lugo
That leaves three spots for the following 12 players. Be sure to check out the Mets’ contract statuses here.
Tyler Bashlor
Jeurys Familia
Robert Gsellman
Luis Guillorme
Walker Lockett
Tomas Nido
Corey Oswalt
Jacob Rhame
Paul Sewald
Dominic Smith
Drew Smith
Daniel Zamora
With that, we turn it over to the MLBTR readership! In the poll below (direct link here), select exactly three players you think the Mets should protect in our upcoming mock expansion draft. Click here to view the results.
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Besides Smith that’s not a very strong group to leave unprotected. Besides Gsellman, it’s mostly relievers who shuffle between triple a and the pen.
Not a lot of guys I’d protect after the guys you list up top and I know Cano wouldn’t get claimed but I wouldn’t protect him. This all said, we’re like five years away from expansion so who knows.
They don’t have a choice in protecting him since he has a no trade clause
Ahh thanks for the great info
Might not be a popular opinion but I’d be compelled to leave Syndergaard unprotected. I’m not convinced that am expansion team would be all that interested in a one-year rental coming off Tommy John surgery.
If the expansion team didn’t select an unprotected syndergaard I’d be more than shocked
That’s fair, but if he looks like his normal self at any point, they could hit him with the QO if he wasn’t interested in an extension.
The reward would far outweigh the risk, in my opinion. That’s assuming he doesn’t suffer a major setback, of course.
Is he a FA next year? I thought they removed those players from the pool of protectable players. Even so, an expansion team would absolutely take him because he would have value as a trade chip
FA after 2021. He’d be a one year rental as of next offseason when this hypothetical expansion draft takes place.
he’d have some value, sure, but he’ll likely not be back until June/July. That wouldn’t leave much time to prove he’s healthy. Combine that with the recent trend towards low returns for rentals (which will likely be even worse as teams value low cost players), and it won’t be much.
That said, I think with the remaining players, you do keep him, but I’d consider Smith more of an automatic than Thor given the TJ and remainder of the contract.
i would agree if there were better options, but i struggle to find three good players from the rest of the list.
An expansion team would certainly be interested in syndergaard.
Is it a gamble? Sure. But the team stands to collect either prospects or a draft pick if he returns from TJS, which isn’t a career killer like it used to be.
Picking up syndergaard gives a new franchise a chance to set themselves up for the future.
As a Mets fan I’m offended sewald was even out on the list of people to possibly protect he’s the worst pitcher I’ve seen take the mound for them in years
better than Jacob Rhame IMO
Rhame stinks but sewald is 30 is 1-14 in his career with an era over 5 I don’t see how anyone could be worse than that. I’d rather see them allow a fan to take the mound before sewald or rhame get another chance they’ve had more than enough chances it’s over get rid of them
Agree but Sewald was ruined by Mickey Mouse who told him to throw a slider 99% of the time?
He almost ruined Steven Matz to make him hit able off right handed batters which in priors years he had much better numbers; and I still like Matz.
Bashlor, Oswalt and Lockett are much worse than Sewald; to me all four should go!
God help the Angels!
Woof. Do we have to protect 3? Smith, and then I guess Gsellman and Familia.
I’d say no on Familia; due to his contact I doubt he’d be picked.
Wow not a lot of good options. Definitely Dom Smith then Gsellman or Familia and maybe Guillorme or Nido (because of defense ability). I also think Drew Smith could be a long shot possibility.
No need to protect Familiar, yes I spelled it correct :), no one will pick up that contract.
None. Just let them all go and start over.
Not much to protect outside of Dom Smith. I would add Gsellman and Guillorme. Don’t care in the least if the others are lost. Will a skinny Familia pitch better?
Maybe. His upside and potential contributions exceed Guillorme’s potential so I’ll stick with Family Guy.
Dom Smith, Gsellman & Guillorme. See if Familia and his contract get taken off your hands.
Pretty obvious choices.
besides the two Smiths thar list is garbage
On behalf of all Mets fans, please take Familia.
Daniel Zamora
Jacob Rhame
Dominic Smith
Rhame is really unpopular but who else is there. Gsellman? He’s just a Familia 2.0. Smith is coming off TJS. Bashlor and Sewald are awful. Lockett doesn’t look like anything special. Guillorme and Nido were the last two standing for me and both of those guys will be AAAA players.
Dom Smith, Gsellman, Familia. Has to be.
As much as I hate to admit it, the Mets have a good team on paper but i still do t think they are on the Braves level.
Nats will benefit from the DH with all their aging vets but i still think they will be a .500 or slightly above team.
I see the Phillies in that boat as well.
As a Phillies fan I still consider the Mess an expansion team.
Really. From a Phillies fan. This is the team that selected Mickey Moniak with the 1st pick in the draft. Yes they could have had Pete Alonso. But they have Rhys Hoskins. They have peaked and will continue to be irrelevant.
What are you, 80?
I kept:
DomSmith
Familia
Lockett
Despite the precedent I have set of not taking aging players on somewhat large contracts, Familia will be my exception (mostly because there is not a lot to choose from). He’s been a really good reliever for us, but he just had a down year. He could be a force in the Mets pen if he bounces back. Dom Smith is obvious, he’s gonna be 1st base if Alonso is DH. Lockett just has the most upside of any of the other guys on the list.
I get the first 2 but Lockett has no upside; he is just BAD and will never be a MLB pitcher.
I would keep Drew Smith or Zamora over Lockett.
Well, I’m not a fan of making the DH permanent in the NL. I see it happening this year if there is a season, but not remaining afterwards. For this year, it would help Cespedes more than Dom Smith. I still would protect Dom along with Gsellman and Familia. I could see protecting Nido as they have no other catcher with major league experience on the roster under contract after this year, but if skinny Familia performs at the level he did five years ago, he’s staying.
Why hasn’t Dom Smith been traded yet. Alonso probably at first base for the next decade or more. I don’t think Smith is a great defensive outfielder so why keep him. Maybe the Mets hoping the DH comes to NL permanently
What could the Mets possibly receive that would make it worth trading Dom? There aren’t too many teams looking for a 1B/DH/OF
Ideally, the mets can find a way to fit him into the lineup.
Davis at 3B, McNeil at 2B, Dom in LF, Conforto in RF, Nimmo in CF, Alonso at 1B.
Cano being on the roster makes it practically impossible, but if the DH comes to the NL Smith is a prime candidate to handle DH duties.
Smith, Gsellman, and Cowbell Man and call it a day.
You’d protect Cowbell Man but leave Mr. and Mrs. Met unprotected?
Too bad they cant trade one of their spots for future considerations
Cano makes no sense being protected. Zam ,Giselle ,and The double Smith Twins .
Why would you protect Cano?!?!
No trade clause
Maybe they are required to protect Cano. If they are not they can protect someone more worthy. If they have an expansion draft why would new team take Cano
I went with…
Dominic Smith, 1B/DH(?)
Robert Gsellman, RHP
Tomas Nido, Catcher
If they had a catcher ready for the majors in the system, I would have almost certainly kept Guilmerro (sp?)