Late in the 2026 season, the Mets added three more names to the 40-man roster, hoping to give themselves a little extra depth heading toward 2027. None of the three reached the majors for New York, and each one now sits in a different spot on the roster bubble.
For David Stearns, this kind of churn has become part of the job. The Mets have been active in collecting players, and these September waiver claims look a lot like short-term inventory - pieces that could help in camp, or disappear just as quickly.
INF Christian Cairo was the first of the trio to land in New York, arriving from the Philadelphia Phillies before the regular season ended. He checks a box Stearns seems to like: a glove-first utility type with a light bat, carrying a career .226 average.
Cairo should get plenty of runway in spring training, or possibly summer training if a lockout stretches things out. Still, the likeliest outcome is simple enough.
The Mets have infield depth in the form of top prospects, and Cairo is better suited to staying around as non-roster depth while they clear room for Rule 5 eligible players. He should compete for a spot, especially if injuries open a lane, but the safest bet is that he ends up stashed on the farm.
SP Cameron Weston has a different kind of path. His time in Syracuse offered a small but encouraging sample: 6.1 innings over four games, just two hits allowed, one run surrendered, and 10 strikeouts.
That was a sharp bounce from the 7.89 ERA he posted with the Baltimore Orioles in Triple-A. The Mets are likely to keep working with him as a depth arm, but probably not as a traditional starter.
He profiles more like a longman, mop-up option, or a pitcher who can cover a few innings when needed. That’s the sort of move Stearns has leaned into before with arms that aren’t quite starters but still have enough to stay in the mix.
Weston’s minor league strikeout rate - 10 K/9 - gives the Mets a reason to keep him around and try him in relief for a longer stretch.
RP Philip Abner looks like the toughest sell of the three. The left-hander, 24, posted a 6.75 ERA in 22.2 big league innings, and the Triple-A numbers suggest a limited ceiling.
Left-handed hitters managed a .680 OPS against him, while righties did more damage with an .805 OPS. Even against lefties, the results weren’t dominant enough to make him a clear specialist; they hit .211 with four homers in 102 plate appearances.
Abner split last season between the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants, and while there are still signs he can hang in the big leagues, the more likely outcome is that he never throws a pitch for the Mets. He doesn’t turn 25 until May, but that probably won’t be enough to keep him on the 40-man roster long-term.
In Other News...
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Mets May Be Headed For Another Steve Cohen Pitching Showdown
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For the Mets, the appeal is obvious. Steve Cohen has shown a willingness to chase elite talent, and a pitcher of Skubals caliber would fit the kind of aggressive offseason the club has rarely been shy about considering. The wrinkle is the broader market, where a possible MLB lockout could affect how freely teams spend and how they approach long-term commitments, leaving the Mets to navigate both a bidding war and an uncertain winter. [Read more 🡒]