As the corresponding move for Tommy Pham joining the team ahead of the series with the Dodgers, Ronny Mauricio has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.
Mauricio was called up to the majors on April 6, when Juan Soto was placed on the Injured List for a calf strain. Since his call up, Mauricio collected a extra inning, game winning RBI in walk-off fashion against the Diamondbacks and went 0-3 in a game where he played third base against the Athletics.
Mauricio was always a little bit of a square peg on this roster, as they already have Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, and Francisco Lindor locking down Maruicio’s most natural positions, as well as Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Jared Young, and Jorge Polanco all getting reps at first base as well. As our Steve Sypa said in our 2026 Season Preview, Mauricio has been a Mets’ farmhand for a long time, but there’s no clear path for him to spend significant time in the majors:
Where the 25-year-old begins the season is most likely dependent on factors beyond his control. Francisco Lindor’s surgery to correct a hamate injury may or may not cost the All-Star some time at the beginning of the season. If he is unable to start the year on the active roster, Mauricio is one of a handful of shortstop options the Mets have to fill-in for the injured Lindor, perhaps the most appealing, as he is a young, homegrown player that has more potential upside than the Jackson Cluffs, Vidal Brujans, Christian Arroyos, and Grae Kessingers of the baseball world. If Lindor is fully healthy and ready to go when the season begins, it will likely be in Mauricio’s best interest to begin the year in Triple-A, so that he can get regular at-bats. At the same time, his bat from the left-side would be useful off the Mets’ bench, as he posted a .265/.336/.447 in 132 at-bats, good for a 121 wRC+. On one hand, being used irregularly in certain situations might not be the best use for Mauricio’s development as a baseball player. But then again, Mauricio has long showed us that this is who he is, so perhaps why not?
Since Pham signed after spring training and was not working out with a club before his signing, it appears that Mauricio was simply an extra bat off the bench until Pham was ready. Pham’s contract included an opt-out as of April 25th if he wasn’t called up to the majors. The deal can be worth as much as $3.1 million if all goes well.
Pham has been a more or less replacement level player over the past few years, racking up season OPS+s of 95, 92, 11, and 85 over the past four seasons.
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