Mets Non-Tender Atchison, Quintanilla, Valdespin

With the non-tender deadline looming at midnight Monday night, the Mets have reportedly cut loose Scott Atchison, Omar Quintanilla and Jordany Valdespin.

Atchison and Quintanilla were actually serviceable in 2013, and it would not be shock if the Mets re-signed them at a lower rate as free agents than they would have gotten through arbitration.

However for Valdespin, his troubled days in Flushing are over. Valdespin was not even eligible for arbitration, so the Mets would have kept him for the major league minimum. But his repeated shenanigans wore on Mets brass, and the Biogenesis suspension was the last straw.

It was surprising that the Mets did not release Valdespin when he was suspended or when the suspension was over. We all knew he would never play for the Mets again. Why wait until now?

There was some speculation that the Mets would non-tender Ike Davis. However, he will indeed be offered a contract. That does not mean Davis and his likely $4 million salary will man first base in 2014. He could still be traded, which appears to be what will eventually happen, as there is reportedly far more interest in Davis than Lucas Duda. And with good reason. Duda is awful, yet he will probably be the starting first baseman in 2014.

Sigh. And the season hasn’t even begun yet.