Mets Cut Voit, Bickford; One Roster Move Left
Two days before Opening Day, the Mets released first baseman Luke Voit and pitcher Phil Bickford as they continue to trim the Opening Day roster to 26.
New York has 29 players remaining on the active roster, but that includes pitchers Kodai Senga and Max Kranick, who both will be placed on the injured list. So one more player must be trimmed before the Mets take on the Brewers at Citi Field on Thursday.
Voit, who played for the Brewers and Triple-A Syracuse last season, was 4-for-34 this spring with one home run and 14 strikeouts. Bickford, who had a 4.95 ERA in 67 1/3 innings combined between the Mets and Dodgers, this spring surrendered three runs and five hits over 4 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts.
Bickford will get 45 days of termination pay, which is $217,000, as Tim Healey of Newsday pointed out. He won his $900,000 contract in arbitration, so it wasn’t fully guaranteed. This is similar to J.D. Davis’ situation when the Giants cut him.
What Roster Cuts Are Left?
After Senga and Kranick hit the IL, the Mets will have 27 players on the active roster spot. That last move will come down to the bullpen. Yohan Ramírez seems like the likeliest candidate to be cut from the active roster, as he has a minor-league option and would be able to stay in the organization.
The Mets have also seemingly shown a willingness to add a veteran bat as they wait for J.D. Martinez to be ready. DJ Stewart has a minor-league option, too.
Moves Follow More Cuts Made This Week
The Mets announced yesterday that they released pitchers Peyton Battenfield and Chad Smith. Battenfield, who had a 5.19 ERA in 34 2/3 innings with Cleveland last year, pitched two scoreless innings. Smith, who had a 6.59 ERA in 13 2/3 innings with Oakland last year, gave up one run in 1 2/3 innings.
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