Mets Option Morabito, Pintaro to Triple-A Syracuse in Spring Cuts

The New York Mets trimmed their spring roster on March 9, optioning outfielder Nick Morabito and right-hander Jonathan Pintaro to Triple-A Syracuse while reassigning right-hander Jack Wenninger to minor-league camp, continuing the multi-wave cuts that will shape the Opening Day roster now less than three weeks out.

Morabito, 22, enters the Syracuse assignment as the Mets' No. 13 prospect per MLB Pipeline and the most obvious speed weapon in the system's outfield depth chart. His 2025 season line tells the story clearly: .273/.348/.385 with a .733 OPS, six home runs, 59 RBI, and 49 stolen bases. That stolen-base total is not a rounding error; it signals a player built around a skill set the Mets will need to manage carefully at the major-league level before committing to it. In five Grapefruit League games this spring, Morabito went 2-for-10 with two RBI, a modest showing that kept him from forcing the issue for a roster spot. He is one of three outfield prospects the organization is watching closely, alongside Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing.

Pintaro's path to Triple-A is more layered. The 28-year-old right-hander already has major-league experience, however brief: he made his MLB debut in June 2025, facing the Atlanta Braves and giving up two runs in two-thirds of an inning. That was his only big-league appearance last season. In the minors, he went 2-5 with a 4.28 ERA across 28 appearances and 16 starts split between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse. This spring he made two Grapefruit League appearances, throwing four innings and allowing just one run, which constitutes a clean audition even if it did not earn him a spot on the Opening Day staff. He is ranked No. 22 in the Mets system, and the organizational read is that he will factor into the major-league pitching mix at some point in 2026.

Wenninger's reassignment to minor-league camp is the move that stings least given the context. The No. 7 Mets prospect per MLB Pipeline closed his Grapefruit League run against the St. Louis Cardinals by striking out five batters across three shutout innings, touching 97 mph with his fastball in the process. That is the kind of closing statement most prospects would want heading into an assignment. The expectation is that he begins the season in Double-A Binghamton, which means the Cardinals outing likely served as his audition for a midseason promotion conversation rather than an Opening Day roster push.

Three prospects, three different levels of organizational urgency. Morabito's speed makes him a Triple-A project worth watching from the first week of the season. Pintaro's combination of prior MLB exposure and a clean spring gives him the clearest near-term path back to Queens. And Wenninger, despite his prospect pedigree, still has a Double-A proving ground ahead of him before that 97 mph fastball gets a sustained look in The Bronx or on a Citi Field mound.