Over the past two days the Red Sox have significantly trimmed down their roster. The Red Sox have optioned C Luis Exposito, 1B Lars Anderson, SS Jose Iglesias, and SS Yamaico Navarro to Pawtucket. All four are prospects and didn't have much of a chance to make the team.
The Mets also trimmed down their roster yesterday. RHP Dillon Gee was optioned to Buffalo. LHP Taylor Tankersly, RHP Boof Bonser, RHP Ryota Igarashi, C Raul Chavez, C Dusty Ryan, IF Russ Adams, and OF Jason Pridie were reassigned to Minor League camp. 2B Luis Castillo was released.
Gee is a prospect and was in the running for a job pitching in long relief but otherwise had no place on the 25-man roster. Gee is still on the 40-man roster and should be on call along with RHP Jenrry Mejia should an injury befall one of the Mets starting pitchers.
There seems to be two open spots in the bullpen and Bonser and Igarashi were fighting for those spots and appeared to have as good of a chance as anyone else to win those jobs. C Ronny Paulino didn't arrive in camp until last week due to visa problems and is suspended to start the season meaning the Mets will need to carry a third catcher early on; Chavez and Ryan were both fighting for that spot and seemed to have a pretty good chance of winning that job. Adams was a long shot to win the second base job and was also in the running to win a job as a utility player. Pridie was competing for a job as a fourth outfielder. All are veterans and were non-roster invitees. It is unclear if these non-roster players will remain in Buffalo or will be released in the hopes of signing elsewhere.
Castillo was the front runner to win the second base job and his release marks more uncertainty at the position. The Mets have elected to eat the remaining $6 million on his contract. On paper, Castillo easily made the most sense as the team's starter at second base, but his reputation with the fan base was so low, admitted GM Sandy Alderson, that it was essentially impossible to keep him on the team.
The Mets essentially had nothing to gain by bringing Castillo to Spring Training, and many Mets fans have wondered why Castillo wasn't released in January - or earlier. Releasing Castillo was a losing proposition; they lose $6 million and get nothing in return. By wasting a roster spot and playing time on him for two-thirds of the Spring schedule the Mets simply subtracted playing time away from all of the other hopefuls vying for the position, which simply makes it more difficult to find a starter amongst IF/LF Daniel Murphy, IF Brad Emaus, IF Luis Hernandez, IF Chin-lung Hu, and IF Justin Turner. It appears that Alderson is trying to make an example out of Castillo. A message to any agents out there: Sandy Alderson isn't Omar Minaya and he won't be handing out any ridiculous contracts.
The Yankees have also made their most recent wave of cuts. The Yanks optioned RHP Andy Brackman, IF Brandon Laird, IF/OF Kevin Russo, and OF Melky Mesa to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. They have also optioned LHP Steve Garrison and RHP Ryan Pope to Trenton.
Russo is a veteran who will be on call at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre should the Yankees need a right-handed bat, a second baseman, or a utility player in general at any time this season. The rest are prospects who didn't stand much of a chance to make the team. All are still on the 40-man roster.
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