David Stearns is not here to play games. He is here to win them by drowning the rest of the National League in sheer, unadulterated depth. If 2025 taught this front office anything, it is that a 26-man roster is a fantasy. It is a paper-thin shield in a hailstone of injuries, slumps, and August fatigue. You need 40 guys. You probably need 50.
The list of 29 non-roster invitees the Mets just dropped for Port St. Lucie is not a courtesy. It is a calculated cattle call for a bullpen and a bench that cannot afford to be average. We are talking about a mix that ranges from Hall of Fame resumes to kids who were taking midterms two years ago.
“The Mets have announced that the following 29 non-roster players have been invited to spring training: RHP Adbert Alzolay, RHP Mike Baumann, RHP Nick Burdi, RHP Daniel Duarte, RHP Carl Edwards Jr., RHP Kevin Herget, LHP Joe Jacques, RHP Craig Kimbrel, RHP Ryan Lambert, LHP Nate Lavender, LHP Anderson Severino, RHP Robert Stock, LHP Matt Turner, LHP Brandon Waddell, RHP Jack Wenninger, C Austin Barnes, C Kevin Parada, C Chris Suero, IF Christian Arroyo, IF Ryan Clifford, IF Jackson Cluff, IF Grae Kessinger, IF Jacob Reimer, IF Jose Rojas, OF Ji Hwan Bae, OF Carson Benge, OF A.J. Ewing, OF Cristian Pache, OF Jose Ramos,” SNY Mets wrote on X.
The Mets have announced that the following 29 non-roster players have been invited to spring training:
? RHP Adbert Alzolay ? RHP Mike Baumann ? RHP Nick Burdi ? RHP Daniel Duarte ? RHP Carl Edwards Jr. ? RHP Kevin Herget ? LHP Joe Jacques ? RHP Craig Kimbrel ? RHP Ryan… pic.twitter.com/U4Rr1tQRd2
Craig Kimbrel is the name that jumps off the page and punches you in the mouth. He is 37 years old and has 440 career saves. Is he the same guy who terrorized hitters in Atlanta? Absolutely not. But he showed enough of a pulse with Houston last year, posting a 2.45 ERA over 11 innings, to prove there is still some smoke in the chimney.
Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The Mets lost Edwin Diaz to the Dodgers in free agency. That is a massive, gaping hole at the back of the bullpen. Devin Williams is the new sheriff in town, but the bridge to get to him is currently under heavy construction. Kimbrel is here on a minor league deal because the Mets want to see if his curveball still bites in the Florida sun and if his fastball has anything left.
Then there is Austin Barnes. The long-time Dodger veteran is 36 and brings two World Series rings to the clubhouse. He is not here to hit .300. He is here because Francisco Alvarez is the cornerstone and the team needs a professional backstop who knows how to handle a staff. If he makes the roster, he locks in a $1.5 million salary. That is a bargain for a guy who has spent a decade catching the best pitchers in the world.
Prospects Knocking Down the Door
Carson Benge and Ryan Clifford are the future, but the future is impatient. Benge is currently the organization’s number two prospect according to some scouts. The Mets left a spot in left field wide open for him to seize. It is a bold move for a kid who only has two dozen games above Double-A.
If he stumbles, the team has safety nets like MJ Melendez or Tyrone Taylor. But Stearns wants the youth movement to be real. Clifford has the kind of raw power that makes scouts drool, even if his batting average in the minors has been a bit of a roller coaster. Seeing him in camp alongside the veterans is the best education money can’t buy.
The Health Wildcards
Adbert Alzolay is the ultimate low-risk, high-reward play. He spent all of 2025 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery on the Mets’ dime. Now, it is time to see if that investment pays off. Before the elbow gave out, Alzolay was a legitimate closing option for the Cubs.
Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
The Mets bullpen is a puzzle with half the pieces still in the box. Nick Burdi and Carl Edwards Jr. are also in the mix, hoping their arms don’t betray them one more time. It is a hungry group. They know the Opening Day roster is a revolving door, and the first few weeks of March will determine who gets the first crack at the Big Apple.
This isn’t about finding one star. It is about building a floor so high that the Mets don’t fall through it when the inevitable July swoon hits.
