AJ Ewing call-up can’t be Mets’ only move to save season: Here are four more bold ones

The first quarter of this season is in the books, and the 15-25 Mets have the worst record in Major League Baseball.

They’re the only team on pace for 101 losses.

With 122 games remaining on its schedule, New York still has a path to play its way back into relevance this summer. Until the Mets consistently improve their on-field product, the team is shaping up to be one of the biggest disappointments in baseball history.

That’s a harsh but fair assessment considering the Mets’ payroll ($368 million) and all the moves that were made this past offseason in an effort to re-establish this club as a perennial postseason contender.

So, what needs to happen for the Mets to turn this around?

The Mets answered that question, in part, with their aggressive promotion of top prospect A.J. Ewing on Monday night.

The return of Francisco Lindor, Luis Robert Jr., and Jorge Polanco from the injured list is pivotal in that process, but all three are not close to returning.

With Ewing in mind, here are four bold moves the Mets can make soon to spark a revival after this disastrous start to the season:

Play the kids!

With Ewing and Carson Benge now on the big-league roster, the Mets can roll with an outfield that features the two top homegrown prospects and superstar Juan Soto.

It would’ve been impossible to envision that scenario a few months ago when Benge was still competing for an Opening Day roster spot and Ewing started the year back in Double-A.

What’s most important is that the Mets give Ewing and Benge playing time every day, even when a left-handed pitcher is on the mound.

Benge’s growth against big-league pitching has been one of the few encouraging storylines. After a slow start, he’s batting .300 (15-for-50) with a .852 OPS in his last 16 games. With those numbers, there’s a case to be made to put Benge back in the leadoff spot.

Ewing’s offensive skill set makes him a candidate to spark this offense as well. He can help this team win in different ways (with his legs, his glove and the quality of his at-bats) — that was the logic in sticking with Benge even as he stumbled offensively to begin the year. Through 132 plate appearances across two levels, Ewing was batting .339/447/.514 with two home runs, 11 RBIs and 17 steals.

Prospects Nick Morabito (outfield) or Ryan Clifford (outfield/first base) could also soon be candidates for a promotion to the big leagues. The last thing the Mets need on offense is another unproductive regular.

The Mets could benefit from the presence of a young player getting his first shot in the big leagues. Ewing has been raking at all levels, and he is deserving of this opportunity. Morabito, a speedster, is already on the 40-man roster. Clifford has 11 hits, including two home runs, over his last 33 at-bats, and has the kind of pop this team has been missing in the middle of its order. It can’t be much worse than what the Mets are already rolling out there night in and night out.

The same can be said for the young arms in Triple-A. Pitching hasn’t been as much of a glaring weakness on the big-league club, but the Mets’ bullpen has holes. Same with the bottom of the rotation.

Keep an eye on starter Jack Wenninger — he’s one of the best pitching prospects in the Mets’ system and has sparkling numbers (1.27 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 28.1 innings) in Syracuse. If Ryan Lambert can cut down on his walks, he’d be an electric addition to the bullpen. Jonathan Pintaro and Dylan Ross are on the 40-man roster and are pitching well in Triple-A. Top starting-pitching prospect Jonah Tong has been much better of late after a shaky start.

Enough with these waiver claims

Sunday’s lineup for the Mets looked like an order from a split squad in Grapefruit League play. Austin Slater was hitting third. Andy Ibáñez was playing third and batting sixth. Both players were claimed over the last two weeks.

Slater is 5 for 16 since the Mets scooped him up off waivers. Ibáñez has not had a hit in eight plate appearances and made two errors at third base in Sunday’s loss. And then there’s Vidal Bruján on the bench.

One of those three will likely be off the Mets’ roster before first pitch on Tuesday because someone needs to be subtracted to make space for Ewing.

While the waiver claims are a byproduct of injuries, they also speak to the Mets’ lack of MLB-ready depth ... or, until recently, reluctance to call up a player like Ewing. But surely there are alternatives, right? Call up prospects. Play Benge, Ewing, MJ Melendez and Brett Baty regardless of who is on the mound.

With seven earned runs allowed in 9 1/3 innings, reliever Craig Kimbrel should be included in this conversation. The Mets need to act with more urgency on these waiver pickups and reclamation projects to give manager Carlos Mendoza the best possible roster.

Fire Carlos Mendoza

Many Mets fans have been clamoring for this outcome for weeks.

While Stearns made it clear recently that the Mets don’t intend to make a managerial change, that stance can obviously turn out to be temporary. Maybe Stearns and the Mets will be inspired by the Phillies’ 10-3 record since Rob Thomson was fired.

To reiterate, this situation isn’t Mendoza’s fault. Fingers need to be pointed at the players for underperforming and the front office for building what, to this point, has been a flawed roster. Players and executives have spoken strongly in favor of Mendoza, so it doesn’t sound like he’s going anywhere anytime soon. After all, the Mets could’ve fired Mendoza when they lost 12 games in a row last month or even after their second-half collapse last year. Nonetheless, they stuck with him. That’s a testament to how they feel about him.

Whether he’s responsible or not, dismissing the manager would be one way for the Mets to give their players a wake-up call and a reminder that they haven’t been good enough. Their putrid play would lead to Mendoza’s losing his job, a potential kick in the behind to get the team back on track.

Make a trade

If the Mets are still set on contending this year, then upgrading this roster is a must. It’s impossible to justify waiting for the trade deadline.

Injecting an impact bat into the middle of this lousy lineup should be at the top of New York’s wish list. Are there any first basemen available? Mark Vientos has had his moments there early on this season, but the Mets can’t trust that Polanco will return from this persistent Achilles injury and get back to playing that position regularly (which was the original plan).

Would Houston be willing to trade away Christian Walker? The Astros are dealing with their own issues after losing Carlos Correa to a season-ending injury. Walker is batting .276/.351/.513 with nine home runs and 27 RBIs and would give Soto right-handed lineup protection. His three-year $60-million deal ends in 2027.

Why stop there? When you have the Astros on the phone, ask what it would take to acquire Yordan Alvarez. Houston isn’t obligated to move anyone, and certainly not Alvarez, but what if the Mets presented them with an offer to help with a rebuild? Of course, that would mean ravaging the farm system and adding even more money to the payroll, but desperate times call for desperate and drastic measures. Alvarez, a designated hitter, is signed to a six-year, $115-million contract through 2028.

The Giants are reportedly open for business after trading catcher Patrick Bailey. How about Rafael Devers? The Mets need to be careful about targeting another aging player on an expensive multi-year deal. Devers, whose 10-year, $313-million contract ends in 2033, is having a down year and can’t be trusted defensively, but the upside is tremendous.

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MAX GOODMAN

Chelsea Janes of SNY floated the idea of taking on a bigger salary and eating money as a negotiation tactic to acquire a legitimate hitter — like taking Trevor Story from the Red Sox while pairing him with one of Boston’s young outfielders.

It’s also worth considering that the Mets dangle some of their expiring contracts on the open market to see what they can get in return. Think about what the Yankees did in 2016 when they traded Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Carlos Beltran to restock their farm system. Just last year, the Guardians traded away several key pieces from their big-league roster and still went on a run late in the season to make the playoffs.

As the losses continue to pile up, it’s important to keep an eye on next year and beyond, but that doesn’t mean waving the white flag. Could the Mets trade from one of their strengths to open up playing time for prospects while simultaneously importing MLB-ready talent? Offloading a piece like Sean Manaea or Kodai Senga couldn’t hurt either.

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