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New York Mets’ Roster Additions Emphasize Pitching

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By @BZarp

Cory Mazzoni

Steve Mitchell – USATODAY Sports

The New York Mets added six players to their 40-man roster on Thursday in order to protect them from next month’s Rule 5 Draft. All six players are pitchers, which tells us two things.

First, the Mets have a farm system that is deep in pitching, not that we didn’t already know that. Second, despite an emphasis on hitting this offseason, the Mets still believe that pitching is their ticket to long-term success.

The two players added who were obvious choices were Noah Syndergaard and Cory Mazzoni. Despite a subpar performance in triple-A in 2014, Syndergaard remains the Mets’ top prospect heading into 2015. Meanwhile, Mazzoni has been held back by injuries during his minor league career, but if he can stay healthy he will have a big league career in his future, even if it means moving to the bullpen.

Syndergaard and Mazzoni are both likely to make their big league debuts in 2015, as could Jack Leathersich and Hansel Robles, who were also added to the roster. Leathersich has had control problems throughout his minor league career, and he’s had great struggles in a couple stints at triple-A, but his strikeout rate is incredibly high, and his addition to the roster signals how desperate the Mets are for help in the bullpen from the left side.

Robles was a surprise addition, as he was protected from the Rule 5 Draft two years ago and spent the 2013 season on the 40-man roster, only to be removed last offseason. In 2014, Robles put up modest numbers at double-A as a starter, but in 20 innings as a reliever he struck out 24 and had a 1.80 ERA, making the Mets believe he can contribute out of the bullpen in 2015.

Two more pitchers the Mets added, who are unlikely to be seen in the majors in 2015, are Gabriel Ynoa and Akeel Morris. Ynoa spent the second half of 2014 in double-A, where he had a modest 4.21 ERA. But he’s just 21 and the Mets believe he can develop into a major league starter a year or two down the line, giving them even more depth in the rotation. Morris is at least a year from being on the major league radar, but he has an electric arm and was unhittable in low-A ball in 2014, making him a pitcher worth protecting from the Rule 5 Draft.

Of course, the Mets couldn’t protect everyone. Of the players the Mets would have considered saving from the Rule 5 Draft, Logan Verrett, Tyler Pill and Dustin Lawley could all be in danger of being taken. Verrett and Pill don’t have standout stuff, but both could have been useful to the Mets in 2015, and could be on the radar of other teams. With Lawley, it’s hard to imagine a spot for him on the Mets roster in the immediate future, although his raw power could make him a viable Rule 5 Draft selection.

Other than the exclusion of Verrett and the inclusion of Robles, there weren’t many surprises in who the Mets decided to protect from next months’ Rule 5 Draft. Some players who were saved have a chance to contribute in 2015, while others are more likely part of the Mets’ long-term plans. But one thing is clear from the contingent of players the Mets added to their 40-man roster on Thursday: They have plenty of pitching and they’re going to continue to build their future around it.

Bryan Zarpentine is a New York Mets writer at www.RantSports.com. Like him on Facebook, follow him on twitter @BZarp and add him on Google.

Related links:

New York Mets Top 10 Prospects Heading into 2015

Assessing the Performance of New York Mets Prospects in the AFL

Michael Cuddyer is Perfect Signing for New York Mets

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