Which two players will the Mets send down on Monday?
Mets manager Buck Showalter looks on after the sixth inning against the Phillies at Citi Field on Saturday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Mets general manager Billy Eppler will have two big decisions to make before Monday at noon, and Buck Showalter will have to have two unpleasant conversations to follow.
That’s baseball’s deadline for rosters to shrink to 26 after teams were allowed to carry 28 players to compensate for the shortened spring training. Though he left open the possibility that something could change between the start of the series finale against the Phillies on Sunday night and the roster decision on Monday, Showalter said it’s likely that the Mets will shed one position player and one pitcher.
Yoan Lopez was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse after Sean Reid-Foley landed on the injured list with a partially torn UCL on Sunday, and it seems probable that he’ll be sent back to the minors. The more complicated decision could be which position player to send down. Showalter said that determination won’t be as uncomplicated as simply fielding the best 26 players on the team.
“I think you’re looking at some other factors, always,” he said. “It’s more than just that — whether it’s depth, whether it’s progression, how things might play out. It’s not just as simple as — let’s face it, there are some rules, where options are concerned and different things put things in a different light, and it should be. There should be a certain number of options that players have. I’m not knocking that. There’s a lot of factors to weigh in on and believe me, Billy and his staff have covered all of them.”
That seems to indicate the Mets will not go the route of releasing Robinson Cano. He entered Sunday having played in only 12 games and hitting .195 in 41 at-bats, with 11 strikeouts, and doesn’t have a natural slot in the Mets’ lineup.
The only other position players with options are Dom Smith, J.D. Davis and Luis Guillorme. Guillorme is the team’s only backup shortstop, and Davis, a strong righthanded bat off the bench, is an unlikely option. Smith has been struggling, hitting .167 with 13 strikeouts in 36 at-bats going into Sunday, but through seven innings, he was 4-for-4 with three RBIs.
The Mets also could choose to designate Travis Jankowski for assignment, though the speedy Jankowski is hitting .318, can be a menace on the basepaths and is a solid defensive outfielder.
“It’s difficult,” Showalter said. “It’s tough because we’ve got good people and good players. If you know Billy, Billy’s been on this since spring training, and we’ve been talking about it. Billy is a great gatherer of information from people and solicits a lot of opinions and great listeners and takes it all in. At the end of the day, I feel like everybody will feel like they’ve had some input. That’s all you ask. The greatest accolade you can pay a man or a woman is to ask their opinion on something.”
Due to a change Tuesday, the team also could decide to send down two position players instead of one, though Showalter appeared to shoot down that option. The team currently is carrying 14 pitchers — the maximum for a 26-man roster is generally 13 — but MLB and the Players Association agreed last week to allow for 14 pitchers until May 30. All that traffic in the bullpen, though, can be counterproductive, Showalter said.
“How do you keep those people happy?” he said. “I think to keep a bullpen healthy, you’ve got to pitch them, too. These days of being off four, five days and pitching, you’re asking for trouble. Their mechanics get out of whack. Your landing, you’re putting more stress on something. Juggling that, too much rest, not enough rest” is a challenge.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
