Roster Changes

The Red Sox trimmed down their roster by one today, designating C Mark Wagner for assignment.  Wagner is a prospect who is strong defensively and decent offensively, but his progression through the Minor Leagues has been slow; Wagner will turn 27 this season and his career has topped out at AA.  Boston has ten days to trade Wagner or they can offer him to the 29 other teams through waivers.  If he clears waivers Wagner can accept an assignment to the Minor Leagues or can become a free agent.

The Mets also made several roster moves today.  The team outrighted LHP Pat Misch to Buffalo.  Misch has the option of refusing that assignment and becoming a free agent.  This also means that manager Terry Collins and GM Sandy Alderson are opting to carry a fourth middle reliever instead of a long reliever.  RHP Manny Acosta was designated for assignment; the Mets have ten days to trade Acosta or can offer him to the 29 other teams through waivers.  If Acosta clears waivers he can accept an assignment to the Minor Leagues or can become a free agent.  The Mets have also traded RHP Eddie Kunz to the Padres for 1B Allan Dykstra.  Kunz was the 2007 first-round draft pick of the Mets and was dubbed the closer of the future.  Although he had his moments as a closer in the Minor Leagues his career has taken serious setbacks recently.  His star has fallen so far that he wasn't even included on the Spring Training roster this season.  A source close to the Binghamton Mets (where Kunz played last season) told LeRoy that Kunz is suffering severe alcoholism as well.  Dykstra was a first-round pick of the Padres in 2008 but has disappointed thus far, batting .241 last season for Class-A Advanced Lake Elsinore.  Collins also told RHP Blaine Boyer that he has made the team.  Boyer, a non-roster invitee, has not yet had his contract purchased by the Mets, but that move is expected by tomorrow.  In a related move, Collins has asked RHP Jason Isringhausen to stay in Port St. Lucie for extended Spring Training to build up his arm strength.  This essentially means that New York's active roster is now down to 29 players, with Spring Training ending tomorrow in Port St. Lucie and the season starting on Friday in Miami against the Marlins.  The roster looks like this:

Starting Pitchers:

1.  LHP Johan Santana*
2.  RHP R. A. Dickey
3.  LHP Jon Niese
4.  RHP Mike Pelfrey
5.  LHP Chris Capuano
6.  RHP Chris Young

Relief Pitchers:

7.    RHP Bobby Parnell
8.    RHP Taylor Buchholz
9.    RHP D. J. Carrasco
10.  RHP Blaine Boyer
11.  LHP Tim Byrdak
12.  RHP Pedro Beato

Starting Lineup:

13.   C Josh Thole
14.  1B Ike Davis
15.  2B Brad Emaus#
16.  3B David Wright
17.  SS Jose Reyes
18.  LF Jason Bay+
19.  CF Angel Pagan
20.  RF Carlos Beltran+

Bench:

21.  LF Willie Harris
22.  SS Chin-lung Hu
23.  2B Daniel Murphy
24.   C Ronny Paulino!+
25.  LF Scott Hairston
26.   C Mike Nickeas
27.  1B Nick Evans
28.  SS Luis Hernandez
29.  LF Lucas Duda

*Will start the season on the disabled list.
+Could start the season on the disabled list.
!Player is suspended to start the season.
#Player has not officially won role yet and status is unknown.

RHP Francisco Rodriguez (who is on the restricted list) will be added to the active roster by either tomorrow or Thursday, ballooning the roster up to 30 players and adding more uncertainty to the situation.  We know for sure that Santana will start the season on the DL and that Paulino is suspended to the start the season. 

Those two absences would have it back down to 28, with Nickeas serving as the backup catcher for the time being.  Paulino has also failed a blood test recently (supposedly it's not a PED failure) and he could be placed on the DL as well, meaning Nickeas could have gotten more than he bargained for when he made this team.  Bay is having problems with ribcage discomfort and a stiff back and Beltran's knees are still a question mark. 

If those two players aren't ready to start the season the roster would be wittled down to 26 with Hernandez being the odd man out.  If they are ready it would still be at 28, with Hernandez, Duda, and Evans being cut.  Duda can be optioned to the Minors, but Evans and Hernandez would have to either be outrighted, designated for assignment, or released, all three scenarios likely spelling the end of their tenures with the Mets.

Second base is still a mess.  We know that Emaus, Hu, and Murphy will be on the team and that Emaus appears to be the de facto starter.  But it looks like a situation has arisen where whoever can play second base will.  Just for reference, Emaus, Reyes, Harris, Hu, Murphy, and Hairston have all been second baseman at one point in time or another in their careers.