NEW YORK -- The Mets on Tuesday added outfielder Nick Morabito, the club’s No. 16 prospect and a breakout player in an improving farm system, to their 40-man roster.
Tuesday was the deadline for Major League teams to add players to the 40-man or risk losing them in the Rule 5 Draft. New York’s most obvious candidate for that distinction was Morabito, their second-round Draft pick in 2022. He wound up being their only addition.
Morabito’s best asset is his speed; he stole 108 bases the past two seasons over three Minor League levels, then another 16 bags in 17 Arizona Fall League games. Overall in the AFL, Morabito hit .362/.450/.464 with a home run, a triple and two doubles, earning a place on the league’s All-Star team.
A potential leadoff hitter at the highest level, Morabito’s future will hinge on his ability to reach base. This year at Double-A Binghamton, he produced a .348 OBP, albeit with little power -- just six home runs in 492 plate appearances. His defense will also be important to his growth. Morabito is a converted shortstop who has taken well to center field thus far in his career, though it may be a challenge for him to wrest the keys to that position away from 2024 first-round pick and No. 2 prospect Carson Benge.
Still, making a 40-man roster is a significant achievement for any young player. That status comes with a guaranteed invitation to Major League Spring Training, where Morabito will have a daily opportunity to showcase his skill in front of Mets staffers. Players with between four and five years of Minor League service time must be added to the 40-man roster or become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Thus, players like Morabito are eligible, while younger prospects such as Benge are not.
Morabito was the Mets’ only roster addition ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. Other candidates included 2022 first-round pick Kevin Parada and fifth-rounder D’Andre Smith, both of whom are coming off improved seasons at Binghamton. If any team selects them in the Rule 5 Draft, that club will need to keep them on their active roster for the entire season -- generally a tall order for position players with little experience in the upper Minors.