Adam Rubin, ESPN Staff Writer 10y

Flo, Kirk out of options after 2014

NEW YORK -- What's undoubtedly a factor in why Wilmer Flores is getting such a serious look at shortstop down the stretch with the Mets?

Flores is one of the five players on the 40-man roster who exhausted a final option this season.

That means, barring an offseason trade, Flores either will break spring-training camp with the Mets in 2015 or be exposed to waivers. And Flores has shown enough that he would have to be on the team, because he surely would be claimed.

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Nieuwenhuis

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Flores

The other players who have exhausted their final option in 2014 are Jenrry Mejia, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Andrew Brown and Cesar Puello.

An option is good for an entire season, allowing a player to move freely as many times as desired between the majors and minors without being exposed to waivers. Most players get three option years, although some get four, including Mejia. (See explanation at BaseballAmerica.com.)

Players can begin burning options even before reaching the majors. For instance, left-handed prospect Steven Matz was placed on the 40-man roster last winter to protect him from Rule 5 draft eligibility. So Matz came to camp in Port St. Lucie in February as a 40-man roster player. And when he predictably failed to make the team, he was optioned to minor-league camp. So his first option was used in 2014 despite never appearing in the majors.

In the case of Mejia, having exhausted his options is largely immaterial. Whether as the closer or some other late-inning relief role, Mejia has established himself as a major leaguer and should no longer need an option.

Nieuwenhuis is the other case like Flores. It's no wonder the Mets are testing Nieuwenhuis in a bench-type role -- with pinch hits and sporadic starts. After all, that would appear to be the role he is slated for in 2015 given he cannot be sent to the minors at that point without being exposed to waivers.

For the same reason, the Mets careers of Puello and Brown appear to be on life support. Although they are on the 40-man roster, neither player was called up in September for a look, suggesting neither is really in the 2015 plans. That means they could be the first off the roster this offseason when the Mets need a spot for a new addition -- either a prospect who needs to be shielded from the Rule 5 draft, a free-agent signing, or via a trade that adds more current 40-man roster players than it subtracts.

The Mets' 40-man roster currently is full. (See the current 40-man roster here). And, because of a rare circumstance of not many pending free agents, it will remain full even into the offseason.

Matt Harvey and Bobby Parnell will need to come off the 60-day DL, where they have not been counting against the 40-man roster.

And, with their contracts expiring, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Bobby Abreu would come off.

So 40, plus 2, minus 2, still equals 40.

That means the Mets are going to have to drastically start trimming 40-man roster players this winter. Aside from free agents, there are new prospects to shield from the Rule 5 draft, beginning with Noah Syndergaard.

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