Mets roster nears capacity after inclusion of 4 players

The Mets spent the late summer clearing out their roster, but returned to near capacity with the addition of four players Monday.

Corey Oswalt, Luis Guillorme, Gerson Bautista and Tyler Bashlor were all added to the 40-man roster, protecting them from exposure to the upcoming Rule 5 draft. The Mets, whose roster now stands at 39, had been well under the maximum following the July/August trades that sent Lucas Duda, Addison Reed, Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson and Neil Walker to other teams for seven minor-league relievers.

Oswalt, a 24-year-old righthander, went 12-5 with a 2.28 ERA for Double-A Binghamton to earn Eastern League Pitcher of the Year honors. Oswalt was also the organization’s pitcher of the year. Oswalt, who is listed at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, struck out 119 and walked 40 in 134 ¹/3 innings. He relies heavily on a sinker and throws a fastball that tops out at 95 mph.

“He’s a major leaguer,” said a talent evaluator who has scouted Oswalt, the Mets’ seventh-round pick in the 2012 draft. “Not a ton of upside, but solid — a back-of-the-rotation type.”

Given the Mets’ lack of starting pitching depth, Oswalt — who will likely be promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas to start the season — could emerge as the first choice should the team need to dip into the minor leagues for help this season.

As it stands, the Mets have Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz, Zack Wheeler, Seth Lugo, Robert Gsellman and Rafael Montero as potential rotation options. But general manager Sandy Alderson has suggested the Mets could trade from that pool in an attempt to bolster other positions.

Guillorme, a 23-year-old shortstop, has a penchant for acrobatic defensive plays. Last season he posted a .283/.376/.331 slash line with one homer and 43 RBIs for Binghamton.

“He’s got very good hands — he relies on his hands quite a bit,” said a talent evaluator who has watched Guillorme. “He may feature more as a second baseman, but he can play shortstop, maybe a utility infielder.”

Bautista, a 22-year-old reliever, was acquired in the July 31 trade that sent Reed to the Red Sox. The right-hander has a 100-mph fastball and could factor into the team’s bullpen for 2019. In 10 appearances last season for Single-A St. Lucie, he posted a 1.26 ERA and, most importantly, showed improved control, walking just three batters over 14 ¹/3 innings.

The 24-year-old Bashlor, a righthanded reliever, struggled with his control for much of the season at St. Lucie. But he was moved to Binghamton in late July and flourished for the final month-plus of the season, posting a 0.75 WHIP over 12 appearances in which he did not allow an earned run. Over that stretch he struck out 23 batters in 14 2/3 innings.