Each year at 213 we look through the Non-Roster Invitees to spring training and get to know them a bit. Are they in camp to get a look at big league hitting/pitching to aid their development? Are the Mets just trying to get a better look at a future rookie? Are they a veteran trying to get back to the major league level? What can we expect from them this season?
Marcel Renteria might not be a household name, but he’s been with the Mets for a while and if there was a time for him to get a Non-Roster invite to Mets camp, it’s now. He was drafted in 6th round in 2017 out of New Mexico State and has moved up through the minors considered his age. With the exception of one inning of work in Binghamton in 2019, he has been above the average age for a player at level from New Mexico Sate until now.
He had a rough start as a Met in Brooklyn in 2017, 0.7 years older than the average player, pitching in 9 games over 11.1 innings. He allowed 15 hits and 12 earned runs. He bounced back the following year though in Columbia (1.1 years older than the average player) making 15 starts totaling 76.2 innings with a 4.23 ERA. He had similar numbers the following year in St. Lucie as a reliever pitching 62.1 innings over 37 games with a 4.62 ERA.
So the question is what’s next for Marcel? He’s going to be 26 this year which is probably why he’s in camp despite not having a history of being on a top prospect list. As we have said a lot, the Mets have been stripped of a lot of their pitching depth which does give Marcel an opening sort of? If anything, he’ll get a look early on in camp and if the Mets are interested they are going to need people to eat up innings late in spring when the Mets are playing NL East foes too often.
