The 2024 offseason was as close to perfect as the New York Mets could have asked. They began the winter by bringing in superstar Juan Soto on a contract worth nearly $800 million. If this would have been the only addition the Mets made this winter, some fans would have called it a win. But New York continued to make moves beyond just Soto.

They re-signed starting pitcher Sean Manaea, though the lefty is struggling with an injury right now. In what could be the most underrated move of the offseason, the Mets added former New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes and converted him to a starting pitcher. Holmes added a few new pitches including the new “kick change” and looked primed for a huge year. They also brought back slugger Pete Alonso.

But not everything general manager David Stearns did this offseason looks to be a genius chess move. In fact, Stearns made a few roster decisions that could be haunting the Mets down the stretch. There are multiple players on the Mets roster, including pitcher Griffin Canning and outfielder Starling Marte, who are out of minor league options and as a result, blocking top prospects from making their big-league debuts.

Which prospects are being blocked by Stearns’ mismanagement this season?

3. OF Drew Gilbert

The Mets have no reason to be paying Marte the money they’re paying him. Instead of cutting Marte or optioning him to the minor leagues, the Mets are forced to hold onto him because of his lack of options and massive contract.

This leaves former top prospect Drew Gilbert to sit in Triple-A, no matter how well he plays to start the season. Gilbert didn’t play too well last season, so he doesn’t have much of an argument to start the season in the big leagues. Last season, he slashed an abysmal .205/.313/.371.

But, before that, he was impressive in the minor leagues and it’s very likely that he returns to this level of player rather than the one that struggled last season. More than likely, Gilbert is going to perform well to begin the 2025 season and he’s going to be stuck in the minor leagues unless Stearns decided to cut Marte and pay the sum of his remaining contract.

2. SS/OF Jett Williams

While Gilbert will likely prove himself worthy of a roster spot, No. 2 prospect Jett Williams likely already showed he has the tools to compete at the big league level. The versatile prospect didn’t hit well in 2024, but he only played 33 games. Before that, he was electric. The righty has elite tools across the board, namely his hit and run tools. To make his argument even better, he has the ability to move from the infield to the outfield, which could be very important for the Mets with Jeff McNeil on the sideline for the time being.

Instead of beginning the season with Williams on the big-league roster, the Mets will be stuck with the overpaid veteran in Marte. The only route to the big leagues for Williams comes if there are significant injuries to the outfield or the Mets cut Marte. It’s very unlikely New York cuts Marte, so Williams could be stuck in the minor leagues for the time being.

If the top prospect begins the season as solid as he should, he could end up forcing the Mets to make a move with their veteran outfielder. Either way, Marte is stealing a roster spot from Gilbert and Williams and it’s because of Stearns’ mismanagement.

1. RHP Brandon Sproat

The Mets have a very questionable starting pitching rotation and they don’t have much flexibility there either. New York has starting pitcher Griffin Canning plugging up a roster spot with a limited ceiling and no options on his contract.

Instead of Canning, the Mets could use this spot for a high potential prospect like right hander Brandon Sproat. Sproat, 24, only has one year of pro ball, but he was incredible during that season. The righty has a very developed arsenal with solid command across the board. He has enough pitches to get through the lineup three or four times by attacking hitters differently each time through.

If it wasn’t for Canning, Sproat would be looking at a potential call up a few weeks into the season. Since the Mets added Canning, they will need to option or cut somebody else to make room on the big-league roster for the impressive righty.

The most likely scenario sees Sproat come out to a hot start and remain in the minor leagues until Stearns make the tough decision on who to option or cut. If it’s Canning, they’ll need to cut him to clear room for the top prospect.