Mets send outfielders Khalil Lee, Nick Plummer to minors
JUPITER, Fla. — Khalil Lee and Nick Plummer entered spring training considered as depth options for the Mets’ outfield to begin the season, but team brass may have other ideas.
After the Mets’ 3-0 exhibition loss to the Marlins on Monday, the team announced Lee and Plummer were among seven players reassigned to minor league camp. The cuts left the Mets with 51 players in major league camp.
Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, Travis Blankenhorn, Patrick Mazeika and Jose Butto were the other players reassigned. The Mets previously reassigned Jordan Yamamoto and Thomas Szapucki to minor league camp.
Plummer arrived on a free-agent contract in the offseason. Lee spent most of last season at Triple-A Syracuse, but had a cameo with the Mets.
“You see why it was important to get Plummer, that was a big acquisition for us,” manager Buck Showalter said before the reassignments were announced. “And you can see why people love Khalil’s skill set … it’s nice to have that type of depth there. Real good ‘what if’ pieces and they can be more than that for us.”
Jacob deGrom’s Grapefruit League debut is scheduled for Tuesday night against the Astros. Then, following a camp workout day, Showalter plans to deploy Chris Bassitt and Carlos Carrasco on Thursday in a piggyback against the Marlins. The Mets are concerned about Thursday night’s weather, and could move Bassitt/Carrasco to an afternoon minor league game if the forecast indicates a strong probability of a rainout.
Showalter chatted with Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells at the batting cage before the game. Parcells belongs to the “fraternity of coaches in New York that shared in the challenges” with whom Showalter became acquainted during his Yankees tenure. Jeff Van Gundy was another coach with whom Showalter said he had a relationship.
As the Mets consider their roster, the question looms: will the season open with additional spaces for players? MLB could implement an expanded roster to start the season given the truncated spring training following the lockout.
“We have already made some cuts, but we have got some guys that might figure into a 28-man roster that wouldn’t figure into a 26,” Showalter said.
The manager was asked if he would prefer the expanded roster.
“I’m always going to err on the side of health, but I don’t have to pay the extra two or three guys,” Showalter said. “It’s very easy to talk about it when it’s not your money, right?”