The Mets designated lefty reliever Génesis Cabrera and outfielder José Azocar for assignment. That clears a pair of active roster spots for Brandon Waddell and Jared Young, each of whom were recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. Cabrera and Azocar are both out of options, so the Mets needed to DFA them to take them off the big league roster. Their 40-man roster count drops to 38.
Cabrera and Azocar had each been selected onto the MLB team in recent weeks. The former was called up after the team lost A.J. Minter and Danny Young to season-ending surgeries. The 28-year-old Cabrera made six appearances, allowing three runs across 7 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked three while averaging around 96 MPH on his fastball. It wasn’t a bad showing altogether.
Unfortunately for Cabrera, he’s a victim of circumstance. The Mets and Dodgers played 13 innings last night. Cabrera went two of them on 20 pitches and probably wouldn’t have been available today. In addition to the four extra frames, that game featured a lengthy third-inning rain delay that forced the Mets to lift starter Griffin Canning rather than try to ramp him back up after the layoff. As a result, all eight members of New York’s bullpen pitched in the eventual 7-5 loss. Waddell hasn’t pitched in six days at Triple-A and is all but certain to get some work behind David Peterson tonight.
Azocar is a more straightforward roster cut. He has been the clear fifth outfielder since the Mets selected his contract on April 17. He has only started five games in as many weeks. Azocar made an appearance as a pinch-runner last night, the first time he’d played in any capacity since May 14. They’ll swap him out for Young, who signed a split deal over the offseason and will be making his team debut. A lefty-swinging corner outfielder/first baseman, Young is hitting .259/.371/.506 with five homers over 22 games in Syracuse. He’ll provide more of a bat-first profile off Carlos Mendoza’s bench.
The Mets have five days to trade Cabrera and Azocar or place them on waivers. There’s a chance they’ll find minor trade interest in Cabrera, though Azocar seems likelier to hit waivers and go unclaimed (as he did during Spring Training). Both players have a previous career outright, meaning they’d each be able to decline a minor league assignment and elect free agency if they clear waivers.
Cabrera actually pitched well last night but it’s a perfectly understandable decision.
Un expected at this particular point in time, but I totally get it. This removes two guys who were not contributing much, and replace them with two who were doing well in Syracuse. Maybe Young and Waddell contribute here, maybe they don’t, but it cost the team nothing to look at them and find out.
This also creates more roster flexibility by opening up two spaces on the 40-man roster. Montas comes off of the 60- day IL in a few weeks. Manaea may not be far behind. And, Waddell and Young can both still be optioned down.
Rooting for Waddell. Quite a journey to get where he is.
He’s a good add for this situation. He can give them multi-inning length in a bullpen thats been overworked for a good month now. And he’s a lefty. I was actually a bit surprised they didn’t call him up over Cabrera in the first place,.
Plus he can spot start if needed. Any time they need a sixth starter, plug Waddell in.
Yes, he can. But thats not the plan. Blackburn is coming off of the IL in a week or so. As of a few days ago, Will Sammon said that he was going to be used as the 6th starter for now.
3 runs in 7 2/3 isn’t horrible. But has he worked on his attitude? Dude had a huge chip on his shoulder
mrperkins: This wasn’t about his attitude. It was about the workload.
When asked to comment, Genesis gave No Reply At All.
Genesis did say there must be some Misunderstanding.
Poor Genesis , throwing it all away
Bye genesis have fun in Japan or mexico
He’ll probably end up back in Syracuse if no one takes him.
I dunno, Bill. A lot of pitchers DFA’d this year, so very few of them lefties. Someone probably has a need. Even if no one takes him now for their major league roster, he may think he can find a minor league deal as a free agent that he thinks gives him a better chance to get back to the majors.
Renfroe > Azocar.
For any Pads fans. I like Azocar but I’d take my chances on the power Renfroe brings to the table.
I always confuse him for Master System Cabrera.
Or Exodus Cabrera.
It’s a situation that last night I wondered if it wasn’t easier just to drop the first game instead of pushing inning after inning where you’d have to make moves like this. Obviously I’d think anyone would rather win the game no matter the cost, but in the end there’s always a cost. Lucky no players were hurt and it’s just moving players from the minors to the majors and vice versa.
They are absolutly foolish. Cabrera was our fourth best reliever and our only good lefty. And Jacob Young over Mauricio, Jett Williams, and Drew Gilbert? They should of DFAd Marte
Stop with the pre-fab attitudes about these prospects. Mauricio still isn’t playing 9 innings in back to back games. Stearns said last week that Mauricio checks the medical boxes, but he’s still a month away from game shape.
Williams is in AA. You have NO clue what he will do at the next level – TRIPLE-A – or how long it will take for him to adjust to that level and start hitting there. But you want to call him up now and start the count on his options before knowing this, thus risking that he runs out of options before he is ready to stick in the majors.
And Gilbert’s productive spurt is over and he is now slumping. His OPS is 200 points lower in May than it was in April, and is down down to a less than mediocre .705ish overall. He’s got just 4 HRs on the year, and only 3 EBHs this month. The league figured out how to pitch to him. Can he make the adjustments, and how long does it take him?? Thats what the minors is for. To learn these things.
LFGMets: JARED Young. JACOB Young plays for the Nationals.
Pay attention and sound like less of a fool.
Key words being “less of”.
There have been so few lefties available on the waiver wire this season. Wondering what the chances are that Cabrera clears waivers and opts to stay with the Mets.
Nats should try to sign Cabrera
“All but certain to get some work behind Peterson tonight”…that didn’t age well
Cabrera elected Free agency as announced by the Syracuse Mets today (Tuesday May 27).