Photo by Ed Delany
The New York Mets made their first round of cuts from big league camp today sending six to minor league camp.
The cuts were outfielder Tim Tebow and right-handers Marcos Molina, Kevin McGowan, Jamie Callahan, Gerson Bautista and Corey Oswalt.
Tebow is 1 for 18 with 11 strikeouts this spring while mostly serving as the designated hitter.
Molina, 23, struggled in his Grapefruit League action allowing four runs on six hits, two walks and only two strikeouts in 5.1 innings. His velocity stayed the same he showed during 2017 topping out at 93 MPH, disappointing news for a guy in his second season off Tommy John surgery.
Molina is on the 40-man roster and healthy starting rotation depth could push him back to Double-A to start the 2018 regular season.
The Mets removed McGowan from the 40-man roster earlier this offseason and he has struggled mightily this spring. The 26-year-old has allowed a whopping 13 earned runs and has 4.15 WHIP in 4.1 innings this spring.
Callahan, acquired by the Mets in the Addison Reed trade from the Red Sox last year, struggled this spring allowing five earned runs on 11 hits, three walks and four strikeouts in 6.2 innings. The 23-year-old former second round pick is on the 40-man roster and is expected to start the season in Triple-A.
The hard throwing Bautista is another piece from the Reed trade and he impressed Mets staff this spring with his pure stuff. He had a couple of good outings mixed with a few bad adding up to four runs allowed on seven hits, four walks and eight strikeouts in 5.2 innings.
Bautista was added to the 40-man roster this offseason and is likely headed to Double-A Binghamton to begin the season.
Oswalt, Mets 2017 Organizational Pitcher of the Year, showed well in big league camp giving up only two runs in 6.1 innings. The 24-year-old has an impressive 0.79 WHIP and five strikeouts so far this spring. He’s on the 40-man roster and should start the 2018 season in the 51s’ rotation.
All six players have been reassigned to minor league camp though they can still appear in major league spring games.
