The New York Mets have been making splashy moves to bolster their roster, but even in the pursuit of excellence, sacrifices are sometimes unavoidable.

Major League Baseball's annual Rule 5 Draft was held Wednesday afternoon at the Winter Meetings in Dallas. The Rule 5 Draft is a mechanism designed to give minor leaguers a big-league opportunity by making it more difficult for clubs to stash players in the minors indefinitely.

The Mets lost a pair of pitching prospects in MLB’s Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings on Wednesday. Left-hander Nate Lavender was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays, and right-hander Mike Vasil, the team’s No.