The Mets are naming infielder Luisangel Acuña to the 26-man roster for Opening Day, according to multiple reports.
The 23-year-old infielder has reportedly been told that he will be named the final player to the club’s roster ahead of New York’s first game of the 2025 MLB season against the Houston Astros on Thursday.
This likely means that outfielder Alexander Canario is the odd man out and, since he is out of options, will be placed on waivers by noon tomorrow when the Mets’ Opening Day roster is due.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns announced that Brett Baty, Hayden Senger, Max Kranick, and Huascar Brazoban had been informed that they made the Opening Day roster.
However, Stearns did not announce the decision on Acuña, saying the team was “ensuring we stay open to what might be out there.”
“This is a highly active time of year as players are on waivers, players have assignment clauses, players have upward mobility clauses, players take their [opt-]outs and become free agents,” he said from Houston. “Players become available at the last minute before rosters are submitted and the last thing we want to do is tell a player that they are on the Opening Day roster and then have to walk that back before rosters are due.
“So we’re just gonna make sure that we explore all possibilities before we announce anything final.”
Stearns and manager Carlos Mendoza indicated that Baty will be getting “a lot of playing time” at second base.
Acuña made his MLB debut at the end of last season, collecting 12 hits in 39 at-bats over 14 games with three home runs and six RBI. He appeared in nine games during the Mets’ postseason run, mostly as a late-inning replacement, and went hitless in three at-bats with two strikeouts. During 131 games at Triple-A Syracuse last year, Acuña knocked in 50 runs with 33 extra-base hits and a .258/.299/.355 slash line (.654 OPS) with an impressive 40 steals on 54 attempts.
This spring, he had 13 hits in 52 at-bats (.250 average).
“I think he had a nice spring training,” Stearns said. “Luisangel is a very, very gifted defender. I’m glad he got some additional exposure to third base. I think that was important for him and towards the end of camp, he started to play a strong third base, and that was great to see.
“Offensively, I think we saw some really good signs. We saw some ability to go the other way, we know he’s got some pop in the bat when he gets to his pull side. And then we also saw where there still needs to be some growth, and he’s very aware of that as well.”
Canario was solid during the spring for the Mets – 11 hits in 36 at-bats with three home runs and eight RBI and a 1.030 OPS – but keeping him would have meant that the Mets would begin the season with only four infielders on the 26-man roster.
He was acquired in a cash deal with the Chicago Cubs in late February. The 24-year-old appeared in 21 games with the Cubs the past two seasons, tallying 12 hits in 45 plate appearances with five extra-base hits, eight RBI, and a .857 slugging percentage.
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