The Mets elected not to make any additions to their 40-man roster ahead of Tuesday evening’s Rule 5 protection deadline, meaning that right-handers Mike Vasil and Dom Hamel among others will remain eligible to be selected during next month’s draft.
Both starters were viewed as two of the top candidates to make the cut this offseason as they could’ve served as valuable pitching depth just one step away from cracking the big-league level, however, New York opted to leave them exposed.
Vasil, a former eighth-round pick out of the University of Virginia, was looked at as one of the quickest risers in the organization heading into last season but he struggled to the tune of a 6.04 ERA and 1.54 WHIP during his first stint at Triple-A.
SNY’s Joe DeMayo has him as the 21st-ranked prospect in his updated Top 30 offseason rankings for the organization, and he views him as more of a potential swing-man at the next level after his rough campaign.
Hamel’s five-pitch mix is impressive but he developed a bit of a walk problem while working with the ABS system for the first time in Syracuse, recording a career-high 5.6 BB/9 in 124.2 innings of work.
The 25-year-old right-hander is ranked 18th on DeMayo’s list and he views him as a potential back-end starter or a multi-inning reliever with his bulldog-like nature on the mound playing well for him in that role.
Despite the rough showings, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see another team take a shot on either of the young talents.
Some of the notable players who were left open for Rule 5 selection include spring training standout Nate Lavender, 27-year-old versatile slugger Luke Ritter, and injury-plagued third-round pick Matt Allan.
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