The Mets’ next roster call might not be simple, even if Nick Morabito looks like the obvious name on paper.
New York has long preferred to keep young players in the minors when the big-league role is going to be thin. The idea is straightforward: let them play every day instead of giving them a few scattered appearances in the majors.
That was the thinking when the Mets brought up A.J. Ewing, and it’s also part of why Ronny Mauricio is still grinding away in the farm system.
If the playing time isn’t there, the Mets don’t see much benefit in a limited bench role.
That creates the tricky question now: what happens when a player isn’t going to start anywhere, but still might be worth a look?
Morabito was already given a shot in May, and it didn’t go well. He went 0 for 11, added a hit by pitch for his only trip on base, and struck out nine times.
He looked overmatched. So the post-trade deadline version of the 2026 Mets presents a tougher decision than just handing him another promotion.
Even so, Morabito has the kind of profile that makes sense for this roster. He could slide into the Tyrone Taylor role, and Taylor is the sort of player the Mets should be willing to move with his contract set to expire. The return would likely be modest, but opening that roster spot still matters, especially if it creates room for someone else.
Morabito has done enough in Triple-A to keep the conversation alive. He’s hitting .265/.366/.409, has launched 9 home runs after entering the year with a previous high of 6, and has swiped 28 bases in 30 attempts. He also brings speed, solid defense, and the right-handed bat that would make the switch from Taylor to Morabito feel natural.
The problem is less about whether he fits and more about when he would actually play.
The Mets do not appear likely to move a lot of position players. Taylor is one obvious candidate, and Luis Robert Jr. is another name that would make sense to send elsewhere.
But even if those moves happen, they don’t automatically create steady at-bats for Morabito. A.J.
Ewing could see more time at second base, though that depends on Marcus Semien’s health. And the Mets are not going to have more than two or three games a week where Morabito can count on regular playing time.
There’s another way to look at it, though. Why keep Morabito in Triple-A if the goal is to raise the level of competition?
He wasn’t ready in May, but a tough finish to the season could still serve a purpose. If he bats around .200 over the final two months, the Mets would learn more about what he can handle.
Morabito still doesn’t look like a starter in the outfield, but he does fit the mold of the fourth or fifth outfielder David Stearns tends to like. He could also become an offseason trade piece. That’s where the risk comes in: if he struggles in the majors, his value could take a hit.
He’s still a work in progress, and the strikeouts are part of the story. The power hasn’t fully caught up to them yet, which is why every at-bat matters. Once the Triple-A season ends, the Mets could bring him up for the final stretch, and September roster expansion would give them more flexibility to rotate young players.
The most likely outcome is that Morabito gets another major league look this year and has some trouble again. After that, the Mets could fill the Taylor spot with a cheap veteran in the offseason, which would fit the way Stearns tends to operate. Morabito would then return to the minors, older and more experienced, with a louder case that he’s ready next time.
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