Big Hype Prospects: Walker, Volpe, Baty, Grissom, Brown
This week on Big Hype Prospects, we’ll take a closer look at high-profile youngsters pushing for an Opening Day assignment.
Five BHPs In The News
Jordan Walker, 20, OF, STL (AA)
536 PA, 19 HR, 22 SB, .306/.388/.510
This column has nothing new to say about Walker. He is in the midst of a bid to skip Triple-A entirely and oust one of Tyler O’Neill or Dylan Carlson in the process. Playing time for Juan Yepez and Nolan Gorman could also be negatively affected by Walker’s imminent debut. Through 54 spring plate appearances, Walker is batting .340/.352/.604 against a mix of competition. If there’s a fly in the ointment, it’s his singular walk. Then again, Walker is in camp to impress with his bat, not to work free passes. Those can come later. Of his 18 hits, eight have gone for extra bases including three home runs.
Anthony Volpe, 21, SS, NYY (AAA)
(AA) 497 PA, 18 HR, 44 SB, .251/.348/.472
Like Walker, Volpe is wearing out his welcome in BHP. The young shortstop is batting .297/.422/.568 with two home runs and four doubles in 44 plate appearances. The Yankees have a number of awkward roster decisions to make. Volpe’s success only adds to the pressure. Do they embrace the youth movement with Volpe, Oswald Peraza, and Oswaldo Cabrera or hand the keys to veterans like Aaron Hicks, Rafael Ortega, Willie Calhoun, and Josh Donaldson one more time? Of course, there’s a middle ground – pick the best option between Volpe and Peraza for shortstop, option the other, and juggle as many of the others as possible until Harrison Bader can return. The “safe” play lies in retaining as many assets as possible. A bolder course might be necessary in a tough AL East.
Brett Baty, 23, 3B, NYM (MLB)
(AA) 394 PA, 19 HR, 2 SB, .312/.406/.544
Continuing a theme, past episodes contain (and then repeat) all of the analysis and scouting notes I have on Baty. He’s batting .351/.478/.459 in 44 plate appearances. Of modest concern, he’s hit for extra bases just twice out of 13 hits. He also has a 27.27 percent strikeout rate. Baty doesn’t profile for the superstar ceilings enjoyed by Walker and Volpe. His ground ball-oriented swing limits his offensive potential. There’s only so much he can do to lift the ball without entirely reworking his mechanics. Despite this shortcoming and inconsistent defense, Baty profiles as a high-probability, above-average regular. His main competition, Eduardo Escobar, is batting .125/.222/.347 in 16 spring at bats. He also went 1-for-10 with a home run at the World Baseball Classic.
Vaughn Grissom, 22, SS, ATL (MLB)
(MLB) 156 PA, 5 HR, 5 SB, .291/.353/.440
The first draft of this writeup was penned before the Braves optioned Grissom or Shewmake. Grissom spent much of the 2022 season in High-A and skipped Triple-A entirely en route to a splashy debut as the Braves second baseman. He faded down the stretch and vanished in the postseason. The presumptive favorite for the shortstop job for much of the offseason, the Braves went out of their way to tout Braden Shewmake in the last week before pivoting to veteran options. Thing is, Grissom performed well this spring. In 37 plate appearances, he batted .371/.400/.429 with only four strikeouts. Reports on his defense have been positive, though he spent more time at second base recently. While he didn’t hit for much power, he looked as if he belonged in Atlanta. Presumably, he’ll continue to work on his defense in Triple-A.
Hunter Brown, 24, SP, HOU (MLB)
(AAA) 106 IP, 11.38 K/9, 3.82 BB/9, 2.55 ERA
Brown has been favored to win a job since the moment Lance McCullers Jr. suffered an elbow strain. Spring stats for pitchers tend to be extra difficult to evaluate since so much of their work happens on back fields and in side sessions. In four recorded games, Brown has 10 strikeouts in nine innings. He’s also allowed only five hits. That’s where the good news ends. Brown has also coughed up six runs (five earned) thanks to five walks and a hit batter. Command has long been the weakest aspect of his game. There’s still relief risk if he continues to miss spots. The overall vibe resembles Red Sox ‘tweener Tanner Houck – a repertoire of plus offerings, a ton of ground balls, a below-average changeup, and shaky command.
Three More
Braden Shewmake, ATL (25): Though he’s behind Grissom on the depth chart, Shewmake had an impressive spring. He hit .323/.371/.452 in 33 plate appearances. Shewmake spent the entirety of 2022 in Triple-A where he posted a modest .259/.316/.399 triple-slash. Scouting reports indicate this reflects his actual talent. He’s considered a future bench guy.
Oscar Colas, CWS (24): A free-swinger, Colas seems the obvious favorite to win the right field battle in Chicago. He’s the best defensive option among those with some offensive capability. While aggression is expected to hold him back, such hitters can sometimes ride an early hot streak until opposing scouts discover their weaknesses. He’s batting .283/.298/.500 with three home runs in 47 plate appearances.
Brice Turang, MIL (23): This is Turang’s fifth Spring Training and by far his best outcome. Through 36 plate appearances, he’s batting .313/.389/.438 with a home run and a double. He’s competing for a role at either second or third base with a collection of misfits – namely Mike Brosseau, Keston Hiura, Owen Miller, and Abraham Toro.
NL East Notes: Braves, Nimmo, Painter
The Braves have a handful of areas on the roster that have yet to be settled, even with Opening Day only a little over a week away. The fifth starter competition has been upended since the beginning of spring, as Michael Soroka has once again struggled with injuries while early favorites Ian Anderson and Bryce Elder fell out of favor thanks to excellent springs from prospects Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd. The final spot in the bullpen and the fourth outfielder position are other areas with uncertainty, but perhaps the most interesting camp battle at this point in the Spring is one few expected headed into the year.
As noted by Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the shortstop position is still up for grabs, though most considered youngster Vaughn Grissom all but locked into the role as camp began last month. Since then, though, prospect Braden Shewmake has paired already-excellent defense with a torrid spring at the plate as he’s slashed .333/.400/.482 in 12 grapefruit league games. While it seems that the most likely conclusion to this remains Grissom as the starting shortstop, backed up by Orlando Arcia, Shewmake has made a case for himself this spring, and it’s worth noting that his left-handed bat could serve as a better complement to the right-handed Arcia than Grissom, who also bats righty. Toscano notes that it seems unlikely the Braves would roster both players to open the season, but it’s reasonable to expect that even if Shewmake fails to take the starting shortstop gig for himself to open the season, an opportunity to make his big league debut will open up at some point this season.
More from around the NL East…
- Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo tells reporters, including Joel Sherman of the New York Post, that he was “relieved” following his diagnosis with a sprained knee and ankle that there was no structural damage in either area. Nimmo believes he will still be ready for Opening Day next week, which is surely a relief for Mets fans who recently lost fellow high-dollar returning free agent signing Edwin Diaz for the season to knee surgery. Should Nimmo miss time, it seems likely that would open up playing time for the likes of Tommy Pham and Tim Locastro.
- Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski told reporters, including Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, that he still expects top prospect Andrew Painter to make his big league debut at some point this season. Painter was diagnosed with a UCL sprain earlier this spring which took him out of the fifth starter competition in Philadelphia, but the young right-hander has not been recommended for Tommy John surgery, instead attempting to rehab the injury after a four week shutdown. Should the rehab route prove successful, it’s no surprise that Painter would be in the mix to make his debut later this season, as he proved himself to be clearly MLB-ready with a dominant spring prior to the sprain.
Brandon Nimmo Week-To-Week With Low Grade Strain In Knee And Ankle
Brandon Nimmo is week-to-week with a low grade strain in his right knee and ankle, Mets general manager Billy Eppler told reporters, including Joel Sherman of the New York Post. His status for Opening Day remains unclear.
Nimmo, 30 later this month, re-signed with the Mets on an eight-year, $162MM deal this winter. The left-hander is coming off another stellar year in which he hit .274/.367/.433 with 16 home runs over 151 games. That last figure is important, as it was the first time Nimmo had topped 100 games since the 2018 season, and only the second time of his career. With that in mind, there’s reasonable cause for concern when an injury-prone player is dealing with any injury, even if this one doesn’t appear to be overly serious.
Having said that, Opening Day is now less than two weeks away, and with Nimmo set to be reevaluated in a week this development would throw a fair amount of doubt over his status for the Mets’ opener. If that is the case, the Mets could use Starling Marte in center field to begin the year, with Tommy Pham and Mark Canha handling the corners. Tim Locastro would likely be the first cab off the rank as a backup outfielder, although one other option for the team would be to use Darin Ruf as their fourth outfielder until Nimmo returns, paving the way for rookie Brett Baty to make the Opening Day roster.
While it remains unclear how much, if any, of the regular season Nimmo will miss, it’s another blow for a Mets side that recently lost star closer Edwin Diaz to a season-ending injury and veteran starter Jose Quintana to a long-term injury.
Mets, Nine Other Teams Attended Zack Britton’s Showcase
The Mets were among the ten teams that attended free agent left-hander Zack Britton‘s showcase on Friday, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. While the Mets have just lost their closer to a long-term injury, Heyman notes that the Mets’ level of interest in Britton is still unknown.
Britton, 35, was once one of the game’s top relief pitchers, but injuries have held him back in recent years, and he’s only thrown 21 innings over the past two seasons. That small sample was highly uneffective as well, as Britton owned a 6.16 ERA over those two seasons for the Yankees. Last year, in particular, was a frustrating one for the veteran, as Britton worked his way back from 2021 Tommy John surgery to throw, only to walk six of nine batters in his return and wind up back on the injured list for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury.
With those injury concerns fresh in the memory, it’s tricky to predict just what sort of pitcher Britton can be moving forward. There’s no question about his dominance during his prime, as Britton put in year after year of consistently elite relief work between 2014-20, working to a 1.84 ERA over 367 1/3 innings.
With that sort of track record, a healthy Britton would make sense for a number of teams to take a chance, including the Mets. Brooks Raley is the only left-hander currently projected to make their bullpen, so another southpaw would make some sense. They do have TJ McFarland and Zach Muckenhirn as left-handers in camp with the team, but Britton would represent a clear upgrade on both. They’re also down a man after Edwin Diaz‘ season-ending injury suffered in the World Baseball Classic. One case against signing a veteran like Britton is the fact that out of their currently projected bullpen, only John Curtiss and Drew Smith have minor league options remaining, so the team may prefer to add an arm with options remaining to allow for a bit more flexibility in the bullpen ahead of a long season.
Of course, that’s only looking at the Mets, and it’s worth remembering that nine other teams also attended his showcase and would have some level of interest. It’s also worth noting that attendance at a showcase is far from a confirmation of any firm interest in a player, and there’s no indication yet that the Mets are actively pursuing the two-time All Star, although they do make a fair bit of sense.
Mets Claim Dennis Santana
The Mets have claimed right-hander Dennis Santana off waivers from the Twins, tweets Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Santana is out of minor league options, and the Twins apparently attempted to pass him through waivers after deciding he wouldn’t break camp with the club. Minnesota claimed Santana off waivers from the Braves earlier in spring training.
Santana, 27 next month, once ranked as one of the top pitching prospects in a stacked Dodgers system but has begun to bounce around the waiver circuit after tough stints both in Los Angeles and Texas. He’s appeared in parts of five big league seasons but logged a 5.12 ERA (4.43 SIERA) in 139 innings.
Last season with the Rangers, Santana averaged a blistering 97.7 mph on his four seamer and 96.7 mph on his sinker. However, he still posted a below-average 21.2% strikeout rate with a bloated 11% walk rate en route to a 5.22 earned run average. Command has been an issue throughout his big league career, evidenced by his penchant for free passes (career 11.8% walk rate). That said, he’s consistently generated swinging strikes at an above-average rate (11.4% in 2022, 11.7% career) and induced chases on pitches off the plate at a high level as well (34.3% in 2022, 33.3% career).
Since Opening Day 2021, Santana has gone from the Dodgers to the Rangers (by way of a small trade), to the Braves (in exchange for cash), to the Twins (via waivers) and now to the Mets. This latest claim certainly doesn’t mean he’s a lock to win a bullpen spot with the Mets over the next two weeks, although the injuries to Edwin Diaz and Sam Coonrod have thinned out the Mets’ relief corps and opened up some competition.
Santana will join a group of candidates including righties Jeff Brigham and Stephen Ridings — both on the 40-man roster — as well as non-roster veterans like Tommy Hunter, T.J. McFarland and Jimmy Yacabonis. If he doesn’t win a spot, the Mets could attempt to pass him through waivers to retain him as organizational depth, just as both the Twins and Braves have unsuccessfully attempted to do this spring It wouldn’t at all be surprising to see GM Billy Eppler add further pieces from outside the organization. The Mets are known to have scouted Zack Britton as recently as yesterday — their third time watching him throw since the calendar flipped to 2023.
As for the Twins, Santana’s departure could re-open the door for hard-throwing righty Trevor Megill — the brother of Mets righty Tylor Megill — to make the Opening Day roster. It’s also possible that a non-roster player like Jeff Hoffman, Danny Coulombe or Jose De Leon could take that spot. Additionally, Minnesota has at least mulled the possibility of a six-man rotation, and there’s now an open roster spot that could be allocated to towering righty Bailey Ober, who looks like the sixth starter behind the projected front five of Pablo Lopez, Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, Tyler Mahle and Kenta Maeda.
Edwin Diaz Undergoes Surgery To Repair Patellar Tendon
Mets closer Edwin Diaz underwent successful surgery to repair the patellar tendon in his right knee this afternoon, the team announced. The general timeline for recovery is around eight months, although in certain cases it’s possible to return in closer to six months. The team is not providing a specific timeline for Diaz’s return for the time being. He and doctors will formulate a rehab program next week. SNY’s Andy Martino first tweeted that Diaz was dealing with an injury to his patellar tendon.
Diaz closed out Wednesday’s World Baseball Classic quarterfinal matchup pitting his native Puerto Rico against the Dominican Republic with a scoreless frame. He was injured during the subsequent celebration. Diaz was helped to his feet by teammates and trainers before eventually being placed in a wheelchair and taken off the field.
It’s a devastating loss for the Mets and the worst fear of any team allowing a star player to participate in the World Baseball Classic. Diaz was baseball’s most dominant reliever in 2022, punching out a comical 50.2% of his opponents en route to a 1.31 ERA and 32 saves. It was his second sub-2.00 ERA of the past three seasons — the first came in just 25 2/3 frames during the shortened 2020 campaign — and a strong enough showing to convince the Mets to re-sign the 28-year-old fireballer on a record-setting five-year, $102MM deal just one day after the 2022 World Series concluded.
With Diaz sidelined for what could be the entire season, the Mets’ bullpen will instead lean on veterans like David Robertson and Adam Ottavino in the late innings. New York was already set to experience a good bit of turnover after seeing Seth Lugo, Trevor May, Mychal Givens, Joely Rodriguez and Trevor Williams depart as free agents. None from that bunch, of course, is as impactful a loss as that of Diaz. His absence will place a strain on the relief corps as a whole and perhaps spur the Mets to explore the market to bring in some bullpen help from outside the organization.
The free-agent market has been largely picked over, though former All-Star Zack Britton remains unsigned and the Mets (perhaps not coincidentally) attended a workout he held for teams earlier today, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. There aren’t any impact relievers known to be available via trade at the moment, though the Mets could always try to pry a high-end reliever away from a rebuilding club like the Pirates (David Bednar) or Royals (Scott Barlow). More likely, the Mets will ride veteran arms like Robertson and Ottavino through the season’s early stages and revisit the market for bullpen additions this summer, when the supply of available arms will be considerably larger.
From a payroll vantage point, it’s worth emphasizing that players who participate in the World Baseball Classic are covered under an insurance policy regardless of the severity of their injury, as Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times reported back in February. Insurance, or lack thereof, is the reason that Clayton Kershaw did not participate in this year’s tournament, as his injury history was deemed too high-risk to be covered under the umbrella policy. Kershaw looked into taking out a personal insurance policy but ultimately announced that he would not be a part of Team USA.
The insurance coverage is a silver lining for the Mets, but given owner Steve Cohen’s apparently limitless appetite for spending, likely only a small one. The broader concern is the subtraction of one of baseball’s most talented pitchers from a roster that’s expected to vie for a title in one of baseball’s most competitive divisions. The Mets are joined by the 2021 World Series champion Braves and 2022 NL champion Phillies in the National League East, and they’ll now be without both Diaz and lefty Jose Quintana (out until at least July) for significant periods of time — quite likely the whole season for Diaz — as they look to capture their first division crown since 2015.
Zack Britton Throwing For Teams Again
Free-agent lefty Zack Britton is hosting yet another workout for teams seeking bullpen help, as first reported by Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter). The Mets will be in attendance, he adds. They’ll be joined by around seven other clubs, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic adds.
It’s at least the third time that Britton has auditioned for clubs this offseason. He held a broad-reaching showcase back in January and a narrower workout for six teams almost one month ago to the day. That session — reportedly attended by the Mets, Angels, Cubs, Giants, Rangers and Dodgers — either didn’t produce the big league offer Britton is said to be seeking or didn’t produce one that he found to his liking.
The Mets’ interest in Britton will take center stage, given Edwin Diaz‘s likely season-ending knee surgery and the fact that Britton, not long ago, was considered to be perhaps baseball’s best reliever — just as Diaz is now. Previously, the Mets had been focused on bullpen help that had minor league options, not wanting to limit the flexibility of their relief corps with another veteran addition. Diaz’s inevitable shift to the 60-day injured list could perhaps change that calculus.
Of course, it can’t emphasized enough that it’s been several years since Britton was in peak form. The now-35-year-old lefty had his elbow scoped in March 2021, which cost him the first two months of that season. He returned in June but quickly went down with a hamstring strain that sidelined him another few weeks. The return from that balky hamstring proved similarly short-lived, as an elbow strain again sent him to the injured list.
In Sept. 2021, Britton underwent surgery to address that second elbow issue. The hope was that, like the arthroscopic procedure in March, removing some bone spurs would alleviate the issue. Instead, surgeons determined that Britton’s ulnar collateral ligament had suffered enough damage that a Tommy John surgery was required. He missed almost all of the 2022 season but did make an improbable late-September return. However, that amounted to just three games, during which time Britton walked six of nine batters faced before going back to the injured list yet again. He averaged 92.8 mph on his fastball in that time — nowhere close to the 94.9 mph he averaged during his last healthy season in 2020 (and even further from the 96.9 mph on his sinker at its peak).
From 2014-20, Britton notched a superhuman 1.84 ERA in 367 1/3 frames. He punched out 24% of his opponents against a 9.2% walk rate in that time, and Britton’s 76.2% ground-ball rate over that period cemented him as the best ground-ball pitcher since 2002, when batted-ball data of that nature began being carefully tracked. Britton posted a laughable 80% ground-ball rate in 2016 and was at 79.1% in 2015 and 77.2% in 2019 — the three highest single-season marks ever posted by a qualified pitcher.
It stands to reason that the group of clubs watching Britton throw this time around will be different in composition. Beyond the fact that there are as many as eight teams turning up this time, each of the Angels (Matt Moore), Rangers (Will Smith) and Cubs (Michael Fulmer) have all signed relievers since that time. The Cubs were still open to adding a lefty even after signing Fulmer, so they could remain in play for Britton, but both Anaheim and Texas are less clear fits following their deals with Moore and Smith.
With just two weeks until Opening Day, it’s unlikely that Britton could sign with a team and be ready to pitch by the time the season gets underway. The extent to which he’s built up isn’t known, but given that this is his third workout for teams since January, he’s clearly been on a throwing program for some time now. Even if he’s not ready come March 30, it’s feasible that he could join a big league bullpen at some point in April, health permitting.
Edwin Diaz Helped Off Field With Right Knee Injury
Star reliever Edwin Díaz was carted off the field after tonight’s World Baseball Classic contest. The Mets closer threw a perfect inning to save Puerto Rico’s 5-2 win over the Dominican Republic and injured his right knee while the team celebrated its victory on the mound (video provided by Fox Sports MLB). The Mets announced he’s going for further imaging on Thursday.
Díaz was helped off the field by trainers without putting weight on his right leg. He was helped into a wheelchair and taken off the field in a surreal scene, one which turned from jubilation for the Puerto Rican players and fanbase into dismay. Players from both teams were visibly distraught by the injury, with Díaz’s younger brother Alexis Díaz breaking down in tears as Edwin was taken off the field.
Obviously, it’s far too soon to know the extent of the injury. Marly Rivera of ESPN tweets that Díaz was evaluated at the stadium by an on-site orthopedic specialist. Andy Martino of SNY tweets that he also went in for x-rays on Wednesday night.
Needless to say, a serious injury to Díaz would be a massive blow for the Mets. The 28-year-old righty is the sport’s best reliever. He’s coming off one of the greatest relief seasons in recent memory, throwing 62 innings of 1.31 ERA ball while striking out more than half his opponents. The Mets retained him this offseason on a five-year, $102MM contract days before the start of free agency. That marked the largest commitment to a relief pitcher in MLB history.
Read The Transcript Of Our Chat Hosted By Former Mets And Orioles GM Jim Duquette
Jim Duquette played baseball at Williams College in the 80s. In the early 90s, he began working for the Mets, a long tenure outside of a one-year stint as Astros director of development.
With the Mets, Duquette rose through the ranks to become the team’s GM in 2003. He first landed the position when the Mets fired incumbent Steve Phillips that summer. As interim GM, Duquette’s moves included trading veterans Roberto Alomar, Jeromy Burnitz, Armando Benitez, Graeme Lloyd, and Rey Sanchez.
Mets owner Fred Wilpon removed the interim tag from Duquette’s title after the season, and he became the third-youngest GM in the game. Coming off a 66-95 season, Duquette said, “This really is my dream job. I’m going to give it everything I can to improve the team, not only for the organization and our players, but for our fans. I’m confident we’re going to turn it around and we’re going to do it quickly.”
Duquette’s 2003-04 offseason free agent acquisitions included Kaz Matsui, Braden Looper, John Franco, Todd Zeile, and Mike Cameron. Duquette was active at the July trade deadline in ’04, moving Scott Kazmir in a deal for Victor Zambrano. He also acquired Kris Benson and Jeff Keppinger in a deal with the Pirates.
The ’04 Mets didn’t do much better, however, and Wilpon brought in Omar Minaya to head up baseball operations toward the end of the season. After a year working under Minaya, Duquette moved to the Orioles to become vice president for baseball operations under Mike Flanagan. Key club acquisitions during Duquette’s two years in that position included Corey Patterson, Jeff Conine, Kevin Millar, Kris Benson, Jay Payton, Aubrey Huff, and Jeremy Guthrie.
After 17 years in MLB front offices, Duquette began a career as a member of the baseball media. He’s written for MLB.com and The Athletic, served as an analyst for Mets games, and had a long-running show on SiriusXM Radio. You may also know Jim’s cousin, Dan, who served as GM of the Expos, Red Sox, and Orioles.
I asked Jim to join us for a live chat, and he agreed! Click here to read the transcript.
If you’re a former MLB GM, we’d love to have you come on for a chat! Click here to contact us.
Sam Coonrod Diagnosed With High-Grade Lat Strain
The Mets announced to reporters, including Tim Healey of Newsday, that reliever Sam Coonrod has a high-grade strain of his right lat. The club has yet to provide a timeline but even mild lat strains usually lead to weeks-long absences.
For Coonrod, 30, it’s a concerning and frustrating development as its two years in a row now with a similar beginning. He also dealt with a shoulder strain in March of last year while with the Phillies and didn’t return to a big league mound until August. He ended up posting a 7.82 ERA in 12 appearances down the stretch and got designated for assignment in January.
The Mets decided to take a flier and grabbed Coonrod off waivers. Though his 2022 campaign was frustrating, he was solid the year before, posting a 4.04 ERA over 42 appearances. He struck out 25.9% of batters faced in that time, walked 8.1% and got grounders at a 57.1% clip. The club was surely hoping that improved health could get the right-hander back to a performance like that and he looked to be on a good trajectory this spring. He tossed five scoreless innings, striking out seven batters while allowing just a single walk and two hits.
Unfortunately, that progress will now be put on hold for what could be a significant amount of time. The club will surely provide more updates eventually, but the MLB website features a guideline on lat strains, highlighting that a Grade 1 strain usually requires an absence of a few weeks, Grade 2 at least a month and Grade 3 even longer, perhaps requiring surgery. Once more information is revealed, there will be a clearer picture of what lies ahead, but it should be a meaningful time on the shelf either way.
The Mets weren’t relying on Coonrod to be a key piece of their bullpen, but they have tried to save a few spots for optionable arms. With Edwin Díaz, Adam Ottavino, David Robertson, Brooks Raley and Drew Smith likely having five jobs spoken for, there was potentially three spots available to be used by various relievers on a rotation basis. Since Coonrod has one option year remaining, he was going to be in that mix alongside guys like John Curtiss, Elieser Hernández, Jeff Brigham and Stephen Ridings. As long as Coonrod is out, it could open up more time for those guys or a non-roster invitee like T.J. McFarland, Tommy Hunter or Jimmy Yacabonis.