Mets Option Meléndez, Scott to Triple-A Syracuse in Spring Roster Cuts

The New York Mets cut seven players from their spring roster on March 17, optioning outfielder MJ Meléndez and right-handed pitcher Christian Scott to Triple-A Syracuse while reassigning five others to minor league camp.

Meléndez, a one-year signee, is off the Opening Day roster but retains a clear path back to the majors if injuries or performance issues open a spot at the big-league level. The move preserves organizational depth without closing the door entirely on a player the Mets clearly see as a viable option later in the season. No spring statistics for Meléndez were made available in the team's announcement.

Scott's assignment to Syracuse carries a different kind of context. The right-hander spent all of 2025 in elbow-surgery rehab, which made his return to competitive innings this spring meaningful regardless of the outcome. He posted a 4.50 ERA in Grapefruit League action and, by all accounts, looked healthy and sharp. The problem is simply depth: with the Mets' rotation already stacked ahead of him, Scott isn't cracking the top five or six starting options right now. His presence in Syracuse still functions, as one analysis put it, like "a loaded insurance policy" for a staff that will inevitably need reinforcements before October.

Joining Meléndez and Scott in departing the main Port St. Lucie clubhouse were Adbert Alzolay, Christian Arroyo, Nick Burdi, Daniel Duarte, and Jose Rojas, all reassigned to minor league camp. The Mets announced the full slate of moves on social media Monday.

For the players who made the cut, the next phase of spring is about fine-tuning. For the seven who did not, the work continues in Syracuse and in the minor league complex, where the window back to Citi Field stays open as long as the season does.