Benson had the right to elect free agency but it’s not a surprise that he has waived that right. Players with at least three years of service have the right to reject outright assignments in favor of the open market. But if they have fewer than five years of service, they forfeit their remaining salary commitments when they do so. Benson got over the three-year line last year and qualified for arbitration for the first time. He is making $1.725MM this year, with still about $745K to be paid out.

The lefty Benson has shown some flashes of potential at times but his three-true-outcomes approach has often leaned too much to the strikeout side of the equation. He had a great showing in 2023, with 11 home runs and 19 stolen bases in 108 games. His 31.3% strikeout rate was quite high but he offset that somewhat with a 12.2% walk rate. He slashed 275/.365/.498 for a 129 wRC+, with some help from a .391 batting average on balls in play.

His production hasn’t been anywhere close to that level since then. Dating back to the start of 2024, he has taken 755 plate appearances. He has hit 29 home runs in that time and drawn walks at a solid 9.5% clip but he has been set down on strikes in 34.3% of those appearances. That has led to a combined .200/.279/.390 batting line and 79 wRC+ for that stretch.

Benson clearly has some tools but that lack of offensive production became untenable. He lost his roster spot with the Reds and the other 29 clubs all passed on the chance to scoop him up. He will see if he can get back on track at the Triple-A level. If he doesn’t get his roster spot back by season’s end, he’ll become a free agent, like all players with at least three years of service time who are removed from a 40-man roster during a season.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Doster, Imagn Images

Walton, 32, signed a minor league deal with the Halos in the offseason. He put up a strong .282/.429/.481 line in Triple-A and got called up to the big leagues in May. He has since put up a great .319/.354/.505 line in 97 plate appearances, though with some luck. He is riding a .371 batting average on balls in play, which is well above average. Presumably, the Angels don’t have much faith in him keeping that going over a larger sample size. For his career, Walton has a .218/.264/.363 line in 311 plate appearances.

Since Walton is out of options, he has been bumped into DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Angels can take five days to see if there’s any trade interest, though they could also put him on the wire sooner than that if they so choose.

Walton has mostly been a light-hitting utility guy in his career. He has experience at second base, third base, shortstop and left field. He hasn’t hit much in the majors but has a .285/.376/.425 line at Triple-A dating back to the start of 2024. Perhaps there is some club out there who needs a bench infielder and doesn’t think this year’s numbers are entirely fluky. If he clears waivers, he has a previous career outright and therefore would have the right to elect free agency.

Photo courtesy of Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images

Bowman and the Twins are plenty familiar with each other. He pitched for them in 2024, one of many clubs he has suited up for in his journeyman career. He signed a minor league deal with the club in February of this year. At the end of spring training, he triggered an opt-out and was released, but signed a new deal shortly thereafter. He opted out of that deal in May, which led to a minor league deal with the Blue Jays. Last week, he opted out of that deal as well, which allowed the Twins to re-sign him today.

Around all the deal-signing and out-opting, he has thrown 30 Triple-A innings this year, allowing 4.20 earned runs per nine. He has probably deserved better than that. His .325 batting average on balls in play and 69.1% strand rate are both a bit to the unlucky side. Meanwhile, his 26.8% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate and 54.3% ground ball rate are all better than average.

His big league career numbers are close to that, without as many strikeouts. He has logged 240 2/3 innings over seven different seasons with a 4.38 ERA, 18.7% strikeout rate, 8% walk rate and 52.3% ground ball rate.

Those strong results have not yet resulted in a major league call-up this year but St. Paul is a pretty good spot for him to be. Minnesota relievers have a collective 5.25 ERA this year, which is the worst such mark in the majors. Given the weakness of the group, there’s not too much standing in Bowman’s way. It’s also possible the Twins sell off some arms ahead of the deadline, though they are currently playing well enough to be within a game and a half of a playoff spot, so that might only happen if they hit a bad stretch this month.

Photo courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn, Imagn Images

Shuster, 27, signed a minor league deal with the Cards in the offseason. Three times this year, he has been added to the big league roster. Since he is out of options, after a few appearances, each stint has ended with him being designated for assignment. He cleared waivers the first two times.

The most recent selection occurred yesterday, in between games of a doubleheader. The Cards were trying to avoid overworking their primary starters, so they called up Bruce Zimmermann and Hunter Dobbins to handle the bulk work in those contests. Zimmermann threw five innings in the first game, then the Cards put Shuster onto the roster in his place to give them one extra arm for the nightcap.

In the end, the Cards dropped both games of the twin bill. The first one was close, finishing 4-3, but they got trounced 10-2 in the second. A lot of that second result was Shuster’s fault. Dobbins allowed three runs in five innings. Down 3-0, the Cards put Shuster into the game. He put up a zero in the top of the sixth, then the Cards scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 3-2. They tried to get a few more outs from Shuster and sent him back out for the top of the seventh, but that did not work. The Brewers jumped all over Shuster and he was ultimately charged with seven earned runs while only recording one out in the seventh. That means he has now allowed nine earned runs in nine innings on the year overall.

Based on the way this year has gone, Shuster should be on waivers in the coming days. Assuming he clears and accepts an assignment to Memphis again, he can join the Redbirds and position himself to potentially be added to the roster again the next time the Cards need a fresh arm for the bullpen.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry, Imagn Images

Fairchild had previously spent the entire season in the Guardians organization. He logged 14 big league games for Cleveland but only took 27 plate appearances due to his role as a late-game defensive replacement and/or pinch-runner. Fairchild managed only a 3-for-19 showing in that seldom-used role, though he also drew seven walks and swiped a pair of bags.

In parts of six major league seasons, the 30-year-old Fairchild is a .221/.309/.377 hitter. He’s a good runner who’s capable of playing all three outfield positions well. He lacks much in the way of offensive impact, but the right-handed-hitting Fairchild does at least have a solid .240/.347/.390 batting line in his career versus lefties. That’s about 5% better than average, by measure of wRC+. Between that and his speed/defense, he’s a viable bench outfielder who can draw occasional starts versus lefties.

The Mariners are currently without star center fielder Julio Rodríguez (concussion list) as well as reserve outfield options Rob Refsnyder (hamstring strain) and Will Wilson (broken thumb). Infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan has been out since mid-May due to a groin strain. The M’s currently have right-handed-hitting journeymen Weston Wilson and Buddy Kennedy on the big league bench while Randy Arozarena, Victor Robles, Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone handle the bulk of the outfield work.

Fairchild offers more of a traditional speed-and-defense option to back up that outfield quartet, should the Mariners want to make a change at some point. He could also be used in a platoon setup with Raley while the M’s wait on Rodriguez and others to mend.

Seelinger’s DFA marks a swift end to what was a feel-good story. The 31-year-old righty came over earlier this week in a cash swap with the Tigers. The Mets selected Seelinger, a Long Island native who went to high school and college (SUNY Farmingdale) not 40 miles from Citi Field, to the big league roster for his major league debut after a decade-long grind through the minors and indie ball.

Unfortunately, the fairy tale debut went sour in a hurry. Seelinger came into a 9-9 tie after the Mets had already squandered a 9-4 lead and was ambushed for seven runs in his first major league inning. He returned for a second frame and posted a scoreless inning. The seven runs in two innings leaves Seelinger with a career 31.50 ERA at the game’s top level.

Prior to that rough debut, Seelinger had been effective in Triple-A. With the Tigers’ Toledo affiliate, Seelinger logged 39 1/3 innings in a swing role and turned in a 3.89 ERA. The right-hander’s 29.3% strikeout rate was quite sharp, but he also showed wobbly command with an 11.4% walk rate. Seelinger averages 92.4 mph on his four-seamer and rounds out a three-pitch repertoire with an 86.1 mph cutter and an 80.1 mph curveball. The Mets can trade him or place him on waivers any time in the next five days. Waivers would take another 48 hours.

The Mets signed Curry, 27, out of indie ball earlier this year. The former Guardians prospect has previously pitched in parts of four major league seasons — most recently with the 2025 Marlins. Curry has pitched exactly 150 innings in the majors and has a 4.38 ERA with a 15.5% strikeout rate and a 7.2% ground-ball rate. He’s been an extreme fly-ball pitcher (29.3% grounder rate) and has at times run into considerable home run troubles, as one might expect for a low-velocity righty with a penchant for airborne contact.

Curry has appeared in 10 games, nine of them starts, with the Mets’ Syracuse affiliate. He’s been tagged for a 4.74 ERA but has been better of late, logging a 3.86 ERA and 21-to-9 K/BB ratio over his past 30 1/3 frames. Curry has experience working both as a starter and reliever. He last pitched on July 3, so he’s rested and should be available for whatever the Mets need of him today.

Curry does have one minor league option remaining, so while it doesn’t seem likely to be a long big league stint for him (based on how the Mets use their final couple bullpen spots), he could be optioned rather than designated for assignment if the Mets want to ship him out for another fresh arm after a long relief outing. That doesn’t entirely rule out an eventual DFA, of course; Seelinger had a full slate of three minor league options.

As for Warren, his injury (first reported by The Athletic’s Will Sammon) will subtract one of the team’s steadier arms. Granted, Warren’s 4.63 ERA doesn’t look like much, but that number has nearly doubled within the past week — presumably due at least in part to this injury. In 24 appearances from the time of his mid-April call to the majors through late June, Warren pitched to a 2.45 ERA (33 innings) with a 25.9% strikeout rate and 11.6% walk rate. He’s since given up nine runs in just two innings while fanning only one of his 18 opponents.

Given the stark decline in performance, it’s not all that surprising to hear that Warren is being impacted by a physical issue. The Mets have yet to provide further details or offer a potential timetable for Warren’s recovery. Interim skipper Andy Green will presumably do so prior to today’s game, unless Warren is still set for further testing at that time.

Though the Mets themselves haven’t provided more info, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo spoke to the pitcher himself. Warren didn’t offer a specific diagnosis, but DiComo notes that the right-hander was emotional when explaining the injury/symptoms and revealing that he’d undergone an MRI. It seems there’s some clear concern for Warren himself, who underwent Tommy John surgery earlier in his career.

Santos, 27 in August, returned to the Giants organization (with which he made his 2021 big league debut) as a minor league free agent this past offseason. He found his way back to Oracle Park when the Giants selected his contract in late April. He wound up pitching five innings in the majors, allowing a pair of runs on five hits and three walks with one strikeout. Things have been rockier in Triple-A. Santos has pitched 15 2/3 innings there and been tagged for 12 runs (6.89 ERA) on 17 hits and 11 walks with 11 strikeouts. He also missed about a month due to an adductor strain.

Despite his relative youth, Santos now has experience in parts of six big league seasons — three with the Giants. Originally signed out of his native Dominican Republic by the Red Sox, Santos was traded to the Giants as part of the 2017 Eduardo Nunez deal. He’s since been shipped to the White Sox (for cash) and from Chicago to Seattle (in exchange for Zach DeLoach, Prelander Berroa and a Competitive Balance draft pick).

Santos has one excellent major league season under his belt and several shakier campaigns that have been derailed by injury. In 2023, the right-hander pitched a career-high 66 1/3 innings for the South Siders. He notched a terrific 3.39 ERA with six holds, five saves, a 22.8% strikeout rate, a 5.9% walk rate and a big 52.5% ground-ball rate. The Sox, then rebuilding, promptly sent him to the Mariners in an offseason trade. The Mariners surrendered a pick and a pair of minor leaguers, hoping they’d acquired a bullpen cornerstone they could control for five more seasons.

That might’ve proven to be the case … had Santos stayed healthy. Instead, the injury bug bit almost immediately. Santos suffered a lat strain during spring training 2024, sidelining him into July. He was activated, pitched 5 1/3 innings, and then sustained a biceps injury that sent him back to the injured list for another eight weeks. His 2025 season opened with diminished velocity, and by late April he was undergoing surgery to repair the cartilage in his right knee. He never made it back to a big league mound, and Seattle opted to non-tender him in November.

There’s a clearly talented arm under that pile of injuries, as Santos’ terrific 2023 season illustrates. However, he made his professional debut with Boston’s Dominican Summer League club all the way back in 2016 but still has only 347 1/3 professional innings under his belt due to myriad health troubles. The canceled 2020 minor league season didn’t do him any favors in that regard, but Santos has also never reached even 50 innings in a professional season outside that peak 2023 showing. If he’s healthy, he’ll likely catch on as a minor league free agent somewhere — perhaps back with the Giants. Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports that several clubs have already contacted the righty to show interest. If Santos can pitch his way back to the majors, he’d be optionable for the balance of the 2026 season and controlled three more years via arbitration.

The Cubs originally added Wilson via waiver claim from the Phillies, who’d designated him for assignment themselves. He appeared in two games with the Cubs, both of them long relief appearances. The first could scarcely have gone better. The 28-year-old righty held the NL Central-leading Brewers scoreless over 4 1/3 pristine innings, punching out four batters without issuing a walk. Chicago went on to eke out a 4-3 victory. The second appearance played out in near-opposite fashion. Wilson pitched 3 1/3 innings against the Cardinals but was torched for seven runs on eight hits and a walk — although that eventual 17-1 drubbing was already well out of hand by the time he took the mound.

Wilson has pitched in each of the past nine major league seasons. He had a nice run with the 2023-24 Brewers (3.42 ERA in 181 2/3 innings) but has otherwise struggled more often than not. In 470 2/3 innings between Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Chicago (both teams), he’s logged a 4.86 ERA with a well below-average 16.6% strikeout rate. Wilson typically has good command (career 7.4% walk rate) but gives up too much hard contact and is too susceptible to home runs.

While no team was willing to claim the out-of-options Wilson and plug him right onto the big league roster, he could still appeal to teams looking to stockpile bullpen length and/or rotation depth on a minor league deal if he chooses to elect free agency. Wilson does have a solid track record at the Triple-A level, where he’s spent parts of six seasons and logged a 4.21 earned run average in 337 2/3 innings.

Avila, 29, is a veteran of five big league seasons. He’s pitched 146 1/3 major league innings between the Padres and Guardians. In that time, he’s logged a solid 3.51 ERA with a 23.8% strikeout rate, a 10.6% walk rate and a 49.2% ground-ball rate, working primarily as a multi-inning reliever/swingman. Avila also spent a season in Japan, starting 14 games (plus a relief appearance) for the Yakult Swallows in 2025. He turned in a 4.04 ERA, 17.8% strikeout rate, 8.7% walk rate and 43.9% grounder rate in that brief stint before opting to return to the Guards on a minor league pact in the offseason.

Avila’s return to the Guardians organization hasn’t gone as hoped. He’s worked primarily out of the rotation in Triple-A Columbus but been tagged for a 7.50 ERA in 60 innings. His strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates have all trended the wrong direction. This year’s 92.1 mph average fastball is down considerably from his career mark of 93.6 mph, though perhaps that’s to be expected for a pitcher that’s typically functioned as a reliever but is now working four to six innings at a time.

By signing on in the KBO, Avila will guarantee himself more money than he’d have earned while playing out the rest of the 2026 season on a minor league contract. A strong half-season with his new club could position him to re-sign in the KBO for the 2027 season — be it with the Landers or another team — at which point a guarantee in the $700K to $1MM range would be in play.

Veneziano, 28, signed a one-year deal that guaranteed him $750K with the opportunity to earn another $100K via incentives. He’s been hit hard in 16 starts, working to a 6.10 ERA with a subpar 18.3% strikeout rate for the Landers. His 8.6% walk rate, but he’s given up far too much loud contact, evidenced by 14 homers allowed in just 79 2/3 innings (1.58 HR/9).

Veneziano has a 3.98 ERA in 40 2/3 major league innings as a reliever. He’s sat a bit better than 94 mph with his heater and logged an above-average 11.8% swinging-strike rate in that role. Perhaps he hoped a nice run working as a starter in the KBO would produce some rotation opportunities back home in North America, but Veneziano could still garner some interest bullpen-hungry teams looking for a lefty to add to the depth chart on a minor league contract.

Robinson spent a couple weeks on L.A.’s big league roster. The Dodgers selected his contract when Will Smith went on the injured list. Robinson backed up Dalton Rushing for a little while. The Dodgers swapped him out for rookie Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. over the weekend. Although they didn’t technically announce Robinson’s DFA until yesterday, they apparently began the 48-hour waiver process over the weekend to remove him from the 40-man roster.

The 31-year-old Robinson is an organizational depth catcher who has gotten to the big leagues with the Reds, White Sox and Dodgers. He had two hits in eight games for L.A. this year and is a career .124/.157/.176 hitter with two home runs over 164 plate appearances. The Southern Mississippi product owns a .268/.329/.407 batting line over five years in Triple-A.

Robinson isn’t going to offer much at the plate, but the Dodgers clearly like his work with a pitching staff. This is his second season in the organization. Smith still seems at least a few weeks away as he works back from neck soreness, leaving Rushing and Alfonzo as the only healthy catchers on the 40-man roster. Robinson would probably be the first catcher back up if either of those two suffer an injury before Smith returns.

Palacios returns to the organization with which he spent the 2023-24 seasons. He appeared in a career-high 91 big league games for the Bucs in 2023. Palacios has played parts of five big league seasons across four teams. He’s a .223/.287/.349 hitter with 15 home runs in 578 plate appearances. Roughly a quarter of his career playing time came with the White Sox in the first half of the 2025 season. Palacios spent the final few months of last year in Triple-A.

The 30-year-old (31 this month) has a .293/.382/.475 slash line in just shy of 800 career Triple-A plate appearances. Palacios has shown a solid strikeout and walk profile in the minors but more swing-and-miss against big league opposition. He can moonlight in center field yet is essentially a corner outfielder.

Palacios is a familiar face for a team light on Triple-A outfield depth. The Bucs released Dominic Fletcher over the weekend and needed to tap into their position player group to recall Jack Brannigan when Konnor Griffin went on the injured list today.

Zimmermann was only added to the roster this morning. Per Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, the Cards wanted to give some extra rest to starters Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante. That meant that Zimmermann was tapped to be the bulk guy for the first game of today’s twin bill, with Hunter Dobbins to start the nightcap. Zimmermann did well enough, allowing three earned runs over five innings, though the Brewers won the game 4-3.

It seems the Cards didn’t plan for Zimmermann to hang around beyond this one outing, so he has been quickly bumped off the roster. He is out of options and could not be easily sent back to the minors. Instead, he will likely be on waivers in the coming days.

Signed to a minor league deal in the offseason, Zimmerman had been pitching fairly well prior to this call-up. He has made 15 Triple-A starts on the year, logging 78 2/3 innings, allowing 3.78 earned runs per nine. His 25.7% strikeout rate, 6.4% walk rate and 42.9% ground ball rate are all better than average figures.

Perhaps that will lead to interest from other clubs, especially with several teams dealing with mounting injuries. Zimmermann doesn’t throw especially hard, averaging below 90 miles per hour with his fastball this year, but he has a six-pitch mix to keep hitters honest. He has 164 1/3 big league innings in his career with a 5.64 ERA, 17.5% strikeout rate, 5.2% walk rate and 41.9% ground ball rate.

Shuster gives the club a fresh arm for the second game. The 27-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Cards in the offseason and this is now the third time he has been added to the big league roster this year. The first two instances each saw him make two appearances before getting designated for assignment, since he is out of options. In both cases, he cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A.

Around the transactions, Shuster has allowed two earned runs in 7 2/3 major league innings. However, his larger major league track record isn’t as nice, nor are this year’s minor league results. In 149 1/3 big league innings over four seasons, he has a 5.12 ERA, 15% strikeout rate, 10.1% walk rate and 37% ground ball rate. In Triple-A this year, he has logged 27 2/3 innings with an 8.78 ERA. A lot of that inflated ERA is down to bad luck but even his 6.99 FIP isn’t much more optimistic.

It’s possible that Shuster is lined up for the DFA carousel again tomorrow. As mentioned, he is out of options. It has also been reported that the Cardinals plan to select Luis Gastelum this week, so perhaps he and Shuster will trade places in the wake of today’s doubleheader.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry, Imagn Images

Topa, 35, has some major league success but is not having a good year. He started this season with the Twins but posted an 8.05 earned run average in 19 innings. His 54.4% ground ball rate was strong but his 13% strikeout rate and 12% walk rate were both well worse than average. He was designated for assignment and released in May, then signed his aforementioned minor league deal with the Jays. He reported to Triple-A Buffalo and put up a solid 3.38 ERA in eight innings, though while only striking out 10.5% of opponents.

A few years ago, Topa was working on a late-bloomer breakout. With the Mariners in 2023, his age-32 season, he tossed 69 innings with a 2.61 ERA, 21.9% strikeout rate, 6.5% walk rate and 56.7% ground ball rate. He was traded to Minnesota ahead of the 2024 campaign, but that season was mostly wiped out by a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, limiting him to just three appearances. He mostly bounced back last year, giving the Twins 60 innings with a 3.90 ERA, 18.3% strikeout rate, 6.7% walk rate and 47.7% ground ball rate.

The Twins and Topa avoided arbitration for 2026, agreeing to a $1.225MM guarantee, in the form of a $1MM salary and $225K buyout on a $5MM mutual option. Minnesota is still on the hook for the remainder that money. If another club gives him a roster spot, they would only have to pay him the prorated league minimum, which would be subtracted from what the Twins pay.

For the Royals, there’s no harm in taking a flier on Topa via a non-roster pact. Their pitching staff has been hit by a number of injuries. Starters Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic have both missed a lot of time. Ragans won’t be coming back this year after recently undergoing UCL surgery. The loss of those two starters has put more strain on a bullpen that is without Carlos Estévez, James McArthur, Nick Mears and Connor Seabold.

It’s possible the group will be thinned out further in the coming weeks. The Royals are 37-54, ahead of only the Angels in the American League. They are highly likely to do some selling ahead of the deadline, meaning some pitchers could be sent out for prospects. Topa gives the club some extra depth without taking up a roster spot. If he earns his way up to the big leagues, he’ll be the cheapest addition possible.

Photo courtesy of Matt Krohn, Imagn Images

Gastelum, 24, has enjoyed a terrific season in Triple-A thus far. He’s pitched 43 2/3 innings out of the bullpen and notched a 2.27 ERA with a 28% strikeout rate, 9.7% walk rate and 51% ground-ball rate. It’s an impressive season taken in total, but drilling down a bit, Gastelum has been even better than the surface-level numbers might indicate.

Nearly all of the damage against Gastelum this season has come in one awful outing. He’s allowed a total of 11 earned runs this season, but six of those came on May 13, when he faced nine batters from Miami’s Triple-A affiliate and recorded only two outs. Since that nightmare outing, Gastelum has been borderline unhittable. He allowed one run his next time out (four days later) … and hasn’t been scored on since. Gastelum has rattled off 22 1/3 shutout innings with a 30-to-5 K/BB ratio. He’s allowed only eight hits along the way.

Gastelum originally signed with the Cardinals as an amateur free agent out of Mexico three years ago. He’d never ranked among the Cardinals’ top 30 prospects coming into the season but had turned in consistent, quality numbers as he climbed the minor league ladder. This year’s dominant showing in Triple-A has jumped him to 21st and 25th among Cards minor leaguers on the midseason rankings at MLB.com and Baseball America. He’s not an especially hard-throwing reliever, sitting around 94 mph on his four-seamer and sinker, but scouting reports tout his changeup as a true plus pitch. He’s a pure bullpen prospect but one who has a chance to carve out a lasting role.

Polanco, 33, has been out since mid-April due to an Achilles injury. The Mets signed the longtime middle infielder to a two-year, $40MM contract this past offseason on the heels of a rebound season with the Mariners. New York was largely set up the middle but still added Polanco with the idea of getting him frequent work at first base and designated hitter.

Instead, injuries have limited Polanco to only 14 games. He’s totaled 61 plate appearances and has just a .179/.246/.286 slash with a homer and three doubles. He’s walked five times (8.2%) against 11 strikeouts (18%).

With Marcus Semien sidelined for awhile due to a Grade 3 hip flexor strain, the Mets could plug Polanco back into the mix at his customary second base. There’s no solidified option at first base or at designated hitter either, which will give interim manager Andy Green some options to mix and match. Young infielders Brett Baty and Mark Vientos have both had one strong season recently — Vientos in ’24, Baty in ’25 — but struggled since.

If Polanco is back to his typical form, he’d be a boon for the Mets’ offense. The switch-hitter mashed at a .265/.326/.495 pace and swatted 26 homers in 138 games as a Mariner last year. Polanco has been a well above-average hitter nearly every season dating back to 2018. He had a down year in the shortened 2020 season and a below-average 2024 in Seattle while playing trough a knee injury that required eventual surgery. Even with that pair of ugly seasons skewing things, Polanco ran a .262/.331/.448 line from 2018-25.

Mauricio heads back to Syracuse increasingly looking like a player whose chances with his current organization are dwindling. The Mets reinstated Mauricio from a nearly eight-week absence 12 days ago. He started five games between that return and today’s option, tallying 18 plate appearances. Mauricio has appeared in 17 games this season and hit .180/.180/.260 in 50 plate appearances. He’s in his final minor league option year but has only 342 big league plate appearances under his belt, during which he’s batted .226/.278/.345.

The trio of Mauricio, Baty and Vientos gave Mets fans varying levels of optimism over the years, but the returns of Polanco and Francisco Lindor, coupled with Bo Bichette‘s hot streak dating back to mid-May, will further diminish playing opportunities for that group. Solid play from rookies Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing have solidified the outfield, too, leaving even fewer opportunities for that once-promising trio (Mauricio, Baty, Vientos) — all of whom look like viable change-of-scenery candidates.

As for the 29-year-old Carrillo, he’s spent the entire season in Syracuse. The Mets originally signed him out of indie ball back in November of 2024. He made a brief big league debut last July but allowed seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. Carrillo posted a huge 36.2% strikeout rate in Triple-A last year but a concerning 14.7% walk rate. His K-BB profile has gone the wrong direction in ’26. He’s fanned a still-strong but diminished 29% of opponents against a mammoth 24.3% walk rate. That’s led to a 5.57 ERA in 21 innings.

Carrillo hasn’t pitched in more than a month with the Mets’ Syracuse affiliate. The team didn’t specify an IL placement for him, but if he’s indeed out with an injury he’ll need to be released, assuming the Mets can’t find a trade partner. Injured players cannot be placed on outright waivers. The Mets have five days to look around for a trade partner before they’d need to request release waivers.