5 Mets players who won’t be on the roster by May 1
By Tim Boyle
The Mets can admit their mistake and part ways with Joely Rodriguez
Joely Rodriguez was acquired shortly before Opening Day by the Mets in a rare trade with the New York Yankees. They swapped right-handed reliever Miguel Castro for the left-handed throwing Rodriguez in order to give themselves another southpaw option in relief. All offseason long, it was a need for the club. Adding Rodriguez shortly before the first game of the season was a half-hearted attempt at addressing it.
Working in Rodriguez’s favor is the fact that the Mets did just trade for him. Letting him go by May 1 is an early admission of the failure of the move. However, he may leave the team with no other choice if he doesn’t pitch consistently over the next few weeks.
Another positive point for Rodriguez: he is one of only two lefties the club has in the bullpen. This was an issue for the Mets all offseason long. They began the winter without any trustworthy lefty in the bullpen. Although free agency offered options like Andrew Chafin post-lockout, they didn’t bite.
It would seem on the surface that Rodriguez’s job with the Mets is pretty safe. But let’s recall how badly their owner wants to win. Surely, they’ll wave the white flag on that trade if Rodriguez is not getting outs. What’s more important: your ego or the win column?