Mets Must Trim Three Players From 40-Man Roster

Most fans of MLB teams are pretty familiar with the 26 players on the active roster, but just as important is a team's 40-man roster, which is populated by players who may be able to contribute in a pinch or as a long-term pieces.

Being on the 40-man roster also means that those players are safe from the prying eyes and hands of the 29 other MLB teams.

There are a few things to remember about 40-man rosters:

• Players on the 60-day IL do not count toward the 40-man total

• Five days after the end of the World Series, every team's 40-man roster must be in compliance, and players who ended the season on the 60-day IL must either be added to that count or designated for assignment

• Players signed at age 18 or younger must be added to their club's 40-man roster within five seasons and players who signed at age 19 or older need to be protected within four seasons or they will be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, which typically takes place in December at the Winter Meetings.

Of the most immediacy for New York, Nov. 2 falls five days after the World Series ended, so by Monday all teams can only have 40 players on the 40-man roster.

That means that the New York Mets' front office has some work to do in the next 48 or so hours.

As of Friday afternoon, the Mets had 43 players eligible to be on their 40-man roster, with first baseman/designated hitter Jorge Polanco and pitchers Tylor Megill and Reed Garrett coming off the IL.

So, the Mets must remove three players by Monday. Currently, the breakdown of the 40-man is 24 pitchers, three catchers, 12 infielders and four outfielders.

On Friday, Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online I.D.'ed the four players most likely to be removed:

• First baseman Christopher Morel: In five seasons bouncing around from the Chicago Cubs to the Tampa Bay Rays to the Miami Marlins and the Mets, Morel has been an occasionally reliable source of power with 26- and 21-homer seasons for the Cubs in 2023 and 2024. He struggled, though, in 14 games with the Mets, hitting .200 with a homer and five RBIs, which, was an improvement over the 22 games he played for the Marlins in 2026 in which he hit a homerless .162. With the 40-man containing seven other infielders with extensive MLB experience, Morel's position looks tenuous.

• First baseman/third baseman Eric Wagaman: The 29-year-old Wagaman had a cup of coffee with the Los Angeles Angels in 2024 (18 games) before playing in 140 games for the 2025 Marlins, hitting .250 with nine HRs and 53 RBIs. In 18 games with the Mets in 2026, he knocked two HRs, but hit just .191 in 47 at-bats. Wagaman has played 26 games in the outfield since 2024, which may give him added value.

• Infielder Christian Cairo: Cairo was claimed from the Philadelphia Phillies' organization in mid-September and got into two games with Triple-A Syracuse, going 4-for-7 (.429). Cairo played six years in the Cleveland Guardians' system before moving to Philadelphia's prior to the 2026 season. In seven minor-league seasons consisting of 599 games, he owns a .226 average and .674 OPS with 21 HRs, 170 RBIs and 130 stolen bases.

• Relief Pitcher Philip Abner: The left-handed Abner was a sixth-round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023. He appeared in five game for the D-backs in 2025 and eight more in 2026 with a combined 18 innings pitched and 5.00 ERA before he was waived and claimed by the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 19. In 4.2 innings with the Giants, he allowed five earned runs for a 9.64 ERA. After those five appearances, he was waived again and claimed by the Mets on Sept. 23, but did not make an appearance with the big club.

Whichever three players the Mets choose to part ways with doesn't mean the roster churn is over. At some point, New York will have to decide which players to add to the 40-man roster in order to protect them from the (admittedly lockout-threatened) Rule 5 Draft.

Shortstop Jefferson Rojas, the key return from the Cubs in the Clay Holmes trade, is a given, but reliever Zach Franklin and starter Gary Gill Hill, two other trade-deadline acquisitions, and infielder Jacob Reimer have to also be considered for protection.

And that doesn't even begin to address the 40-man roster machinations that will be necessary when the Mets begin signing free agents or executing trades in preparation for 2027.