3 Players New York Mets Should Let Walk This Offseason

Most of the players on the New York Mets' current roster are either already locked into long-term contracts or have short enough major league service time to be on rookie contracts or under arbitration.

As a result, barring any significant trades that may occur, the majority of the 2014 Mets should be back in 2015. If a few upgrades are made at certain positions in either free agency or through trades, the incumbent starters at those positions would likely either be benched or traded away.

Unlike some other teams, the Mets do not have many players that are about to become free agents in the offseason. The Mets are also very likely to come to agreements with at least most of the arbitration-eligible players on new contracts for 2015.

Here are three players from the 2014 team that the Mets should let walk into free agency this offseason. 

Buddy Carlyle

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One pitcher who more than likely will not return to the Mets in 2015 is Buddy Carlyle.

Carlyle signed a minor league contract of his own during the offseason and then got promoted in July. He was later designated for assignment when Jon Niese came off the disabled list but then was recalled less than a week later when Daisuke Matsuzaka landed on the disabled list.

Carlyle pitched well out of the bullpen for the Mets this season. In 27 appearances, he was 1-1 with a 1.45 ERA in 31.0 innings pitched.

Yet, despite these wonderful numbers, Carlyle is not a sure bet to return in 2015. The Mets have a nice group of young relievers and all the depth that exists is probably the biggest reason why the Mets won't have much of a need for him next season.

There is no need to give a bunch of money to a veteran reliever that probably would not have a major role in the bullpen's future. 

Dana Eveland

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Dana Eveland is yet another pitcher who most likely will not be a Met in 2015. Like Carlyle, Eveland was signed to a minor league contract. He was promoted at the end of May and finished the season with a 1-1 record with a 2.63 ERA in 30 appearances and 27.1 innings pitched.

With all of the young pitching that the Mets have both on the major league roster and in the minor leagues, it's very unlikely they will try hard to keep Eveland around in 2015. If he were to sign back on another minor league contract, that could potentially work for the Mets, but a guaranteed major league contract is probably not something they would be willing to offer.

Unless he's willing to accept another minor league deal, Eveland is not worth keeping around next season. 

Ruben Tejada

David Goldman/Associated Press

The one arbitration-eligible player the Mets should not make every effort to keep around is Ruben Tejada.

Non-tendering him could actually be a good idea for the Mets, depending on what the team looks like if any big moves are made in free agency or the trade market.

Tejada at the moment projects to be the backup shortstop for the Mets, but if they were to sign a shortstop in free agency or trade for one, he would almost certainly be more expendable than Wilmer Flores.

Tejada simply has not hit well in his career. He played decently in 2012, but his career average thus far is .254 and his career OPS is .645. Those numbers simply are not going to cut it as a starting shortstop. Tejada does not have spectacular speed or defense to make up for his offensive shortcomings, either.

The Mets have given him enough chances to see if he will succeed and help them become a winning team, but at this point, the ship has sailed. If the Mets are able to sign a free-agent shortstop or make a big trade for one, Tejada would no longer be needed and could easily get non-tendered.

With the way the Mets' roster is currently set up, Tejada is decent middle infield depth. If a big signing or trade for a shortstop occurs, it would very likely mean the end of his time with the team.

All statistics are courtesy of MLB.com. All contract figures are courtesy of Spotrac.com.