How are these 5 former Mets from the 2023 roster doing with their new teams?
Cinco de Mayo marks a little over a month of MLB action. We’ve had visits of several former New York Mets to Citi Field already. We’ve also embarked on a journey to see what they were up to in their new cities.
These five Mets who suited up for the 2023 Mets at some point have had varying results to start the 2024 campaign. Let’s check in on who is experiencing happiness and who is playing their way off the roster.
1) Daniel Vogelbach is the same player with the Blue Jays
A uniform change didn’t have Daniel Vogelbach morphing into anyone else. A low average hitter who can draw walks well, this limited left-handed slugger has somehow managed to stay on the Toronto Blue Jays roster. He defied the odds by making the team out of camp thanks to a couple of home runs including one that got under the skin of reigning AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole.
Vogelbach’s playing time with the Blue Jays has been limited. The presence of Justin Turner to eat up a majority of their DH at-bats has kept him on the sidelines much more than his tenure with the Mets.
Vogelbach started on May Fourth and picked up an RBI despite going hitless in 5 at-bats. Unfortunately for him, he’s now slashing .107/.242/.179 in his first 33 trips to the plate. Two of his three hits on the year have been doubles but it should do little to help keep him around much longer. His 9 strikeouts gives him a percentage higher than anything he had in his tenure with the Mets.
Soon enough, the Blue Jays will wise up and see there are much better role-players to have around.
2) Carlos Carrasco as deflated after an early strong start
Nobody knows the ups and downs of Carlos Carrasco better than the New York Mets. He missed half of the 2021 season only to come back and post a 6.04 ERA in his 12 starts. Then in 2022, Carrasco turned back the clock. Finishing 15-7 with a 3.97 ERA in 29 starts, the ball club had every reason to pick up his option for 2023. Then 2023 happened and it was nothing but a regrettable decision.
Carrasco was bad again. In 20 starts he’d go 3-8 with a 6.80 ERA. He gave up as many runs in 2023 as he did in 2022 even with 62 fewer innings of work.
Carrasco found his way back to Cleveland this offseason, signing a minor league deal with the Guardians. He made the MLB roster out of camp and after some acceptable outings early on, Carrasco’s decline has caught up with him.
After 6 starts, Carrasco is now 1-2 with a 6.59 ERA. His most recent outing against the Houston Astros did the most damage. The 8 earned runs allowed in 4 innings was his second straight dreadful outing. Days earlier the Boston Red Sox scored 5 earned runs against him in as many innings.
A fan-favorite in Cleveland, one would have to guess if the Guardians have any intention of competing this year that they’ll cut bait.
3) Tommy Pham has given the White Sox an early trade chip
It’s not all misery for former Mets. Tommy Pham, who had to wait until the regular season started to get a contract, landed with MLB’s worst team. The Chicago White Sox were spiraling but they’ve been a bit better since he arrived. Battered by injuries, he’d ironically enough replace Kevin Pillar on their roster.
Pham has already secured as many plate appearances as Vogelbach, stepping up 33 times. He has the same number of doubles, 2, but has sprayed 7 singles and a home run in between to go along with it. He’s now slashing .323/.362/.484 on a team getting clobbered on a regular basis.
The White Sox have ineffectively built a team with a couple of former Mets. Danny Mendick is now playing third base for them regularly in the absence of Yoan Moncada. Rafael Ortega has found his way into the outfield mix. Chris Flexen has been taking the ball every five days without a whole lot of success. Then there’s Dominic Leone in the bullpen, too.
On the Southside of Chicago, even noted Mets killer Paul DeJong is there. Only Pham seems to be doing anything of note.
From the moment the White Sox signed him, it was clear Pham was headed toward becoming a top trade candidate this summer. With the Miami Marlins already opening up the door and the White Sox buried this early, Pham is already on his way into another uniform. Pham has been traded four times in the middle of the year. This season should be the fifth.
4) David Robertson is excelling in the Rangers bullpen
Now in the role he was born to play, David Robertson is with the Texas Rangers doing some remarkable things out of their bullpen. A 1-0 record, 1.08 ERA, and 0.84 WHIP are exactly what the defending champions ordered.
Robertson was on a bit of a low after the Mets traded him to the Miami Marlins at the end of last season. His ERA jumped from 2.05 up to 5.06 with Miami. They removed him from the closer’s role and he’s proving this season he is better off in a setup situation.
To his credit, Robertson was able to build up enough of a resume to earn a $10 million contract for 2024 plus a mutual option for 2025 for $7 million. It does include a buyout of $1.5 million for some padding and inflation adjustment. After all, the Mets paid him the same $10 million in 2023 to be an excellent impromptu closer. The least the Rangers could do is add a little more.
Robertson has looked ageless for the Rangers in 2024. Even relievers tend to break down by 39-years-old. Was it the time off from rehabbing or is Robertson just that special? In a tight AL West where the Houston Astros have bowed out, the Rangers probably don’t care as long as he keeps getting outs.
5) Luis Guillorme isn’t doing so great with the Braves
It’s hard for a player like Luis Guillorme to post great numbers this early in the season. It’s even harder on an Atlanta Braves team that seems to require their guys play 162 games. Guillorme is coming off of one of his weaker Mets seasons and he has carried it over with him to Atlanta.
Through 21 plate appearances the ex-Mets infielder is batting .150/.190/.250. For a quick callback, he has 2 doubles just like Vogelbach and Pham. As someone who did manage to hit .261/.344/.333 during his time with the Mets as a part-time player and regular fill-in once a week or so, it’s a disappointing start for the beloved bearded one.
Most of Guillorme’s games have come at second base. Only three complete games played, he is getting used sparingly by Atlanta. An injury to Ozzie Albies allowed Guillorme a little more playing time, but with him now back from the IL, his playing time will once again be cut short.
The second-place Braves aren’t running away with the division this year and a part of it is their offense hasn’t been as bulletproof. One has to wonder if all of the games from the starters does wear them out. Still an incredibly potent lineup, they could benefit with a little more Guillorme in their lives.
Curiously, they’ve played the fewest games in the NL East this year and have off-days this Monday and Thursday before a weekend series against the Mets. They should be well-rested enough, but maybe their problem is not playing enough. Wasn’t this their excuse for getting bounced in their first playoff series in back-to-back years? Let’s cross our fingers Atlanta doesn’t heat up by the time they make their first trip to Citi Field.
This article was originally published on risingapple.com as How are these 5 former Mets from the 2023 roster doing with their new teams?.