3) Nate Lavender
Nate Lavender hasn’t pitched since 2024 when he went down with Tommy John surgery as a member of the Mets. The same Rays who traded Gerber to the Mets decided he wasn’t worth keeping on their 26-man roster for the coming season. Gifted back to the Mets, he has a chance to be one of the more valuable members of the Syracuse train back and forth to the majors this coming season.
The same way the Mets could always use Rojas in a pinch against a team with a lot of righty relievers (as long as he’s hitting well and they have the opening), the team could call upon Lavender versus a club with a lot of lefty hitters. We saw the Mets carry three lefty relievers at times last year. It’s often strategic and with A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley locked into larger roles than the average lefty specialist, Lavender may fit the bill as a one-day option to get through the long haul of the season.
Something to note is that in his last full season in 2023, Lavender had reverse splits. Righties batted .164/.265/.336 against him. Lefties were better at .241/.366/.373. It doesn’t completely settle him into any kind of role. All matchups require looking at the other side. A lefty who struggles against southpaws isn’t going to do better against Lavender just because others do.
The way Lavender was lost after an injury and returned to the Mets has the same story as Dedniel Nunez. We remember how important he became in 2024. Let Lavender be someone who does the same in 2026.