The Mets announced a series of roster moves on Friday night ahead of the 40-man roster deadline, protecting players from December’s Rule 5 Draft.

The club announced that highly-touted infield prospects Ronny Mauricio and Mark Vientos, along with RHPs Jose Butto and Adam Oller, were selected to the 40-man roster.

In addition, RHP Dedniel Nunez was returned to the Mets and added to the Triple-A Syracuse roster. Nunez, 25, was selected by the San Francisco Giants in last year’s Rule 5 Draft, but he underwent Tommy John Surgery in March and missed the entire season, allowing him to return to the Mets.

Adding Mauricio and Vientos to the 40-man roster was the expected move, as the Mets have high hopes for both infield prospects. Mauricio, the franchise’s No. 3 ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has the potential to be a five-tool player for the Mets, and the 20-year-old could make his MLB debut as early as next season.

Vientos is not far behind on the list, coming in as the Mets’ No. 6 prospect. The 21-year-old split his time between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse in 2021, combining to slash .281/.352/.581 with 25 homers and 63 RBI.

Butto, 23, is currently ranked as the team’s No. 13 prospect, while the 27-year-old Oller was named the Mets’ minor-league Pitcher of the Year in 2021.

Popular in the Community