Mets trim spring roster, send 10 to minor league camp

The New York Mets sent 10 players to minor league camp Sunday, trimming the spring roster with Opening Day 11 days away. The group includes pitchers Carl Edwards Jr., Joe Jacques, and Ryan Lambert, catcher Kevin Parada, infielders Ryan Clifford, Jackson Cluff, Grae Kessinger, and Jacob Reimer, and outfielders Ji Hwan Bae, A.J. Ewing, and Jose Ramos.

Lambert and Ewing are the 2 names that sting a little. Lambert was one of the better stories of camp, striking out 8 batters over 3 scoreless innings with the kind of stuff that turns heads. Ewing hit .381 in spring with a 1.090 OPS, adding 4 extra-base hits and 4 stolen bases across 21 at-bats. Neither player made a case to be sent down. They were sent down because the roster math didn’t have room, not because they failed.

Among the infield cuts, Clifford had a tough spring with just 2 hits in 20 at-bats. Reimer fared better, posting an .804 OPS in 16 at-bats. Francisco Lindor returning to the lineup Sunday also reduced the urgency around depth infielders like Cluff and Kessinger, who were always more camp bodies than serious roster competitors at this stage.

Both Lambert and Ewing figure to open the year in Syracuse, but neither should be there long if the big league club runs into any trouble. The cuts will keep coming as camp winds down.