Mets Activate Michael Conforto, Select Corey Oswalt
The Mets announced a series of roster moves before this evening’s game against the Braves. As expected, outfielder Michael Conforto has been activated from the injured list. He is in tonight’s lineup, hitting third while playing right field. Right-handers Tylor Megill (previously reported) and Corey Oswalt have been officially selected to the roster. (Andy Martino of SNY reported that Oswalt would be promoted before the official announcement).
Righties Yennsy Díaz and Sean Reid-Foley were optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, while catcher Tomás Nido has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 22, due to a right wrist contusion. To clear 40-man roster space for Megill and Oswalt, pitchers Joey Lucchesi and Robert Gsellman were transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.
Conforto has been out since May 17 with a hamstring strain. He’ll return to the lineup for the first time in more than a month, looking to improve upon his early-season output. Conforto, who hit .261/.365/.478 between 2018-20, started this season a bit slowly by his standards. Across 135 plate appearances, the left-handed hitter managed a .230/.356/.336 line that’s been only slightly better than league average, a drop-off from his high-end production in prior years. The next few months will be pivotal for Conforto, who is scheduled to reach free agency at the end of the season.
Oswalt becomes the latest addition to a pitching staff that has been hit hard by injuries. The 27-year-old appeared for the Mets in each season from 2018-20, working to a composite 6.19 ERA/4.83 SIERA across 84 1/3 innings. He served as something of a flexible swing option, starting 13 of his 23 MLB appearances.
New York passed Oswalt through outright waivers in February, and he’s spent the 2021 season with Syracuse. He’s made six appearances, none of which has eclipsed 3 1/3 innings, working mostly as a multi-inning reliever. Given that he hasn’t really been stretched out this year, Oswalt seems more likely to serve as long relief depth than as a true starter, although it’s possible he could work as an opener or tandem starter of some sort. Megill, on the other hand, has worked as a more traditional starter in the minors and is ticketed to start tonight’s game against Atlanta.
Gsellman went on the IL with a lat strain earlier this week, and he never seemed especially likely to return anytime soon. General manager Zack Scott told reporters (including Tim Britton of the Athletic) that Gsellman won’t even begin a throwing program for at least six weeks. That likely ruled him out until late August at the earliest, so there’s little reason for the Mets not to transfer the righty to the 60-day IL with the need for 40-man roster space. Lucchesi, meanwhile, will undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow and miss the rest of the year (and most or all of 2022).
Nido has tallied 91 plate appearances this season, hitting at a passable .238/.297/.393 clip. A recent MRI on his injured wrist didn’t reveal any structural damage, manager Luis Rojas told reporters (including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com) this afternoon. Nevertheless, it seems he’ll need a few days to recuperate. Patrick Mazeika is on hand to back up starter James McCann in the interim.
Mets Activate Jeff McNeil; Robert Gsellman Out Up To Eight Weeks
5:35pm: The outlook on Gsellman isn’t good, as SNY’s Steve Gelbs reports (via Twitter) that a tear in his lat will cause the right-hander to miss anywhere from six to eight weeks of action. That’ll sideline him well into the season’s second half.
2:19pm: As expected, the Mets activated utilityman Jeff McNeil off the 10-day IL today, so he will take Gsellman’s spot on the active roster. McNeil has been out of action since May 17 due to a hamstring strain, and he now looks to resume his duty as New York’s regular second baseman. The former All-Star was off to a bit of a slow start prior to his injury, with only a modest .242/.336/.374 slash line over his first 113 plate appearances.
1:20pm: The Mets will be placing right-hander Robert Gsellman on the 10-day injured list due to a right lat strain, according to SNY’s Andy Martino (via Twitter). Gsellman last pitched on Saturday, tossing two innings as the opener in the second game of a doubleheader against the Nationals.
The injury is particularly ill-timed, as the Mets have another doubleheader today against the Braves, and then yet another doubleheader against the Phillies on Friday. Though there is a Thursday off-day in between, the losses of both Gsellman and Joey Lucchesi to the IL within the last couple of days will leave the Mets short on pitching depth for this busy week.
Gsellman has allowed five runs over his last 4 1/3 innings of work, souring what had been a pretty solid season, out of New York’s bullpen. The righty has a 3.71 ERA/4.47 SIERA over 26 2/3 total innings in 2021, relying on soft contact and a career-best 50.6% grounder rate to counteract a tiny 13.6% strikeout rate. It was a nice bounce-back for Gsellman following an injury-marred 2020 that saw him post a 9.64 ERA over 14 frames.
Players Avoiding Arbitration: 1/15/21
The deadline to exchange arbitration figures is today at 1pm ET. As of this morning, there were 125 arbitration-eligible players who’d yet to agree to terms on their contract for the upcoming 2021 season. Arbitration is muddier than ever before thanks to the shortened 2020 schedule, which most believe will lead to record number of arb hearings this winter. Be that as it may, it’s still reasonable to expect dozens of contractual agreements to filter in over the next couple of hours.
We’ll highlight some of the more high-profile cases in separate posts with more in-depth breakdowns, but the majority of today’s dealings will be smaller-scale increases that don’t radically alter a team’s payroll or a player’s trade candidacy. As such, we’ll just run through most of today’s agreements in this post.
I’ve embedded MLBTR’s 2021 Arbitration Tracker in the post (those in the mobile app or viewing on mobile web will want to turn their phones sideways). Our tracker can be sorted by team, by service time and/or by Super Two status, allowing users to check the status on whichever groups of players they like. You can also check out Matt Swartz’s projected arbitration salaries for this year’s class, and we’ll do a quick sentence on each player’s agreement at the bottom of this post as well, with the most recent agreements sitting atop the list.
Today’s Agreements (chronologically, newest to oldest)
- Rockies outfielder Raimel Tapia avoided arbitration with a $1.95MM deal, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. The team also reached an agreement for $805K with reliever Robert Stephenson, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- The Tigers have deals with infielder Jeimer Candelario ($2.85MM), outfielder JaCoby Jones ($2.65MM) and righty Jose Cisnero ($970K), Chris McCosky of the Detroit News relays.
- The Yankees and reliever Chad Green settled for $2.15MM, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
- The Marlins and lefty Richard Bleier have a deal for $1.425MM, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweets.
- The Dodgers reached a $3.6MM settlement with lefty Julio Urias, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.
- The Angels announced a deal with righty Dylan Bundy for $8.325MM.
- The Tigers and southpaw Matthew Boyd have settled for $6.5MM, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News tweets.
- The Yankees have deals with catcher Gary Sanchez ($6.35MM), first baseman Luke Voit ($4.7MM), third baseman Gio Urshela ($4.65MM), shortstop Gleyber Torres ($4MM) and outfielder Clint Frazier ($2.1MM), per Jon Heyman of MLB Network and Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.
- The Rays and outfielder Manuel Margot avoided arbitration with a $3.4MM agreement, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
- The Padres and outfielder Tommy Pham have a deal for $8.9MM, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. Reliever Dan Altavilla settled for $850K, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets.
- The Angels and righty Felix Pena have come to terms for $1.1MM, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.
- The Red Sox and third baseman Rafael Devers have reached a $4.575MM agreement, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
- The Mets and outfielder Brandon Nimmo have come to a $4.7MM agreement, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com tweets.
- The Reds and righty Luis Castillo have settled for $4.2MM, Robert Murray of FanSided relays.
- The Rays reached a $2.25MM agreement with infielder Joey Wendle and a $1.175MM settlement with righty Yonny Chirinos, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
- The Cardinals and flamethrowing reliever Jordan Hicks have an agreement for $862,500, according to Heyman.
- The White Sox and ace Lucas Giolito avoided arbitration with a $4.15MM agreement, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.
- The Pirates and righty Joe Musgrove have reached an agreement for $4.45MM, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. They also made deals with second/baseman outfielder Adam Frazier ($4.3MM), third baseman Colin Moran ($2.8MM) righty Chad Kuhl ($2.13MM) and lefty Steven Brault ($2.05MM), per reports from Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Adam Berry of MLB.com.
- Hard-throwing right-hander Reyes Moronta agreed to a $695K deal with the Giants after missing the 2020 season due to shoulder surgery, tweets Robert Murray of Fansided.
- The Tigers agreed to a $2.1MM deal with infielder Niko Goodrum, tweets Robert Murray of Fansided. They also inked lefty Daniel Norris for a $3.475MM salary, tweets Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Pirates agreed to a $1.3MM deal with catcher Jacob Stallings and a $1.1MM deal with righty Chris Stratton, per Robert Murray of Fansided (Twitter links).
- Athletics right-hander Lou Trivino agreed to a $912,500 salary for the 2021 season, tweets Robert Murray of Fansided.
- Right-hander Richard Rodriguez and the Pirates agreed to a $1.7MM deal, tweets Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Catcher Jorge Alfaro and the Marlins agreed to a $2.05MM deal, tweets Craig Mish of SportsGrid.
- The Reds agreed to a $2.2MM deal with right-hander Tyler Mahle, tweets Fansided’s Robert Murray. Cincinnati also signed lefty Amir Garrett for $1.5MM, tweets Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
- The Indians agreed to a $2.4MM deal with newly acquired shortstop Amed Rosario and a $975K deal with righty Phil Maton, tweets Zack Meisel of The Athletic.
- The Tigers and righty Buck Farmer settled at $1.85MM, tweets Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Marlins agreed to a $1.9MM deal with right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.
Mets Place Andres Gimenez On 10-Day IL, Select Ryan Cordell
Andres Gimenez‘s 2020 season is over, as the Mets placed the shortstop on the 10-day injured list due to right oblique tightness. Outfielder Ryan Cordell‘s contract has been selected and he will take Gimenez’s spot on the active roster, with right-hander Robert Gsellman being moved to the 60-day IL to free up a 40-man roster spot for Cordell.
The Mets raised some eyebrows by adding Gimenez to their Opening Day roster, as the top prospect had hit only .257/.317/.380 over 632 plate appearances at the Double-A level and has never appeared in Triple-A, let alone the majors. That said, Gimenez made a solid accounting for himself in his first big league season, batting .265/.336/.402 (104 OPS+, 106 wRC+) over 131 PA for New York with three home runs. Gimenez also displayed some skill on the basepaths in going 8-for-9 on stolen base attempts, and wielded a steady glove at shortstop while also getting some action in at second and third base.
The left-handed hitting Gimenez ended up more or less platooning with the right-handed hitting Amed Rosario at shortstop, though in the wake of a tough season for Rosario, it’s possible Gimenez may have the inside track to a regular starting job in 2021. This isn’t to say that the Mets would move on from Rosario, who is still only 24 years old and was an even higher-touted prospect than Gimenez, plus Rosario himself posted solid numbers over the full 2019 season. Gimenez’s earlier-than-expected emergence gives (likely) incoming Mets front office boss Sandy Alderson some quality depth to work with as he figures out the team’s infield plans for next season.
Cordell signed a minor league deal with the Mets in June and was previously selected to the roster early in the season, though was designated for assignment and then outrighted after four games. Cordell’s 2020 resume consists of just four plate appearances, this coming after a 2019 season with the White Sox that saw the outfielder hit .221/.290/.355 over 247 PA.
Mets Place Robert Gsellman On 10-Day Injured List
3:05pm: The Mets don’t expect Gsellman to return this year, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News tweets.
2:45pm: The Mets have placed right-hander Robert Gsellman on the 10-day injured list due to a fractured rib. Right-hander Drew Smith was called up from the alternate training site.
While the exact severity of Gsellman’s injury isn’t known, a rib fracture would likely indicate that his 2020 campaign is over with less than three weeks remaining in the regular season. The right-hander already missed time earlier this season with a triceps injury and didn’t make his season debut until August 8.
The injuries have undoubtedly contributed to a rough year for Gsellman on the mound. Working as both a reliever and as a starter, Gsellman has a 9.64 ERA over 14 innings, with almost as many walks (eight) as strikeouts (nine). Gsellman has also been tagged for four homers over his 14 innings for an ungainly 2.6 HR/9. A big piece of that damage came in last night’s game, when Gsellman allowed six runs to the Orioles over 3 2/3 innings.
Gsellman broke into the big leagues as a starter, though transitioned to relief work in 2018-19 and was only called back to starting this season to help fill the gaps left by the Mets’ many rotation injuries. The 27-year-old is pitching in his fifth MLB season and will be arbitration-eligible for the second time this winter. Since he isn’t likely to earn much of a raise over his $1.225MM salary from 2020, it wouldn’t cost the Mets much to bring Gsellman back and hope for better health in 2021.
Mets Rotation Update
A month ago, the New York Mets made the bold move to transition two of their highest-volume relievers to the rotation. Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo each came to the majors with expectations of starting, but after years of working effectively out of the bullpen, the Mets gambled by moving the pair back to the rotation mid-season. The experiment is over for Gsellman, writes MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.
Gsellman’s longest outing was a 4-inning stint in which he allowed one run while striking out four and walking none. While the Mets eventually lost that game 2-1, it was the only game of the four Gsellman started that went that way. Still, short outings and an 8.68 ERA suggest Gsellman is better suited to returning to his usual role in the bullpen, where the Mets rank 11th as a team by ERA and 12th by FIP.
Besides, the Mets’ rotation is full again with ace Jacob deGrom followed by Rick Porcello, David Peterson, and Michael Wacha. The 25-year-old Peterson has been a pleasant surprise, going 4-1 with a 3.03 ERA/4.02 FIP. His emergence has been especially important considering the de-evolution and subsequent injured list stint for fellow southpaw Steven Matz. Matz slumped to a 0-4 mark with an unsightly 8.63 ERA/6.69 FIP before being placed on the injured list for shoulder bursitis.
The right-handed, non-deGrom, veteran division of the rotation – consisting of Porcello and Wacha – have produced subpar results by measure of ERA, but take a look at an ERA-indicator like FIP and you’ll find a much different story. Porcello boasts just a 1-4 record over 8 starts (39 innings) with a 5.54 ERA – but a 2.97 FIP. Wacha, similarly, has a horrid 7.20 ERA over 5 starts (20 innings) – but a much more respectable 4.40 FIP. Wacha in particular has shown an impressive 12.2 K/9, easily a career high, but he’s also surrendered 12.6 hits per nine innings, a mark that’s equally outside his career norms. A .429 BABIP against might be partially responsible for the discrepancy between FIP and ERA, giving the Mets cause to believe in their rotation over the season’s final three weeks.
Lugo will continue to hold down the fifth spot in the rotation. Long one of New York’s most reliable relievers, Lugo has continued to impress from the rotation. While no stranger to the rotation – Lugo made 31 starts from 2016 to 2018 – he worked exclusively out of the pen in 2019 for an identical 2.70 ERA/FIP across 61 appearances covering 80 innings. He’s been their most reliable bullpen arm in recent seasons, but having acquired Miguel Castro from the Orioles at the deadline and moving Gsellman back to the pen, the Mets are betting that they can afford to keep Lugo in the rotation for now. The 30-year-old has done an admirable job stretching himself to starter’s minutes, culminating in a 5-inning outing his last time out. In total, Lugo has a 1.54 ERA across 11 2/3 innings since moving to the rotation.
Mets Notes: Rotation, Rosario, Gimenez, Peterson
Robert Gsellman‘s first start as a member of the Mets’ rotation this week lasted just two innings, as the right-hander is still getting stretched out after opening the year in the bullpen. But manager Luis Rojas expressed confidence this week that the righty can “have some stamina for us” and “give us that depth to start a game” as he builds up (link via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo). The 27-year-old Gsellman said he “felt like a little kid again” as he prepped for his first start since 2017, and DiComo notes that a move back into the rotation has long been something for which Gsellman has hoped. Righty Seth Lugo, too, has expressed interest in getting back into a starter’s role, but the Mets are more reluctant to alter his role given the resounding success he’s enjoyed as a late-inning weapon in recent years. Lugo has a career 2.50 ERA out of the ‘pen and has punched out 28.3 percent of the hitters he’s faced in a relief role. Those numbers dip to 4.06 and 19.2 percent, respectively, in a nearly equal sample of innings as a starter.
More on the Mets…
- Amed Rosario has struggled to begin the season while top prospect Andres Gimenez has thrived in his early looks at shortstop. However, Rojas told reporters yesterday that Rosario is still the team’s starting shortstop (link via Newsday’s David Lennon). Rosario was out of action due to what the Mets termed as a stomach illness, but Rojas acknowledged after the game that the team is also “looking to get him back on track” at the plate. Rosario is hitting .207/.207/.310 to Gimenez’s .286/.327/.388. Gimenez has also played sharp defense and is tied for the MLB lead with five steals, but for now, it seems as though he’ll continue to slot in around the diamond. That could mean a move back to second base once Rosario is well enough to return to the lineup, but a changing of the guard at shortstop still doesn’t sound imminent. Gimenez, 20, has been generally considered to be among MLB’s top 100 prospects for the past couple of seasons, although Rosario himself was regarded as an elite prospect prior to his own ascension to the Majors.
- Left-hander David Peterson exited yesterday’s outing after just 74 pitches and revealed that he’s dealing with some shoulder fatigue (link via Mike Puma of the New York Post). Peterson, the Mets’ first-round pick back in 2017, had held the Nationals to a run one hit and a pair of walks through five strong innings. He said after the game that he’s not concerned with his shoulder issue. The Mets can ill afford any further hits to their rotation, particularly a loss of Peterson, who has been a godsend in the absence of Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman. Through his first four MLB starts this year, Peterson has a 2.91 ERA and 3.96 FIP with a 17-to-8 K/BB ratio and just two homers allowed in 21 2/3 innings.
Mets Moving Robert Gsellman Into Rotation
The Mets are set to give Robert Gsellman the start for tonight’s game, but it’s more than just an “opener” assignment for the righty, it seems. Manager Luis Rojas said in an appearance on WFAN 660 AM today that Gsellman will be stretched out to work as a starter moving forward (Twitter links via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo). The plan is for him to pitch in the rotation for the remainder of the year.
The Mets were bullish on their rotation depth after signing Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha over the winter, but the lack of options beyond their top six starters has become a glaring deficiency in 2020. Noah Syndergaard will miss the entire season due to Tommy John surgery, while Marcus Stroman just opted out of the 2020 season earlier this week, citing health-and-safety uncertainties while playing amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Wacha, meanwhile, is on the injured list with another bout of shoulder troubles.
Despite the fact that Jacob deGrom is dominating (as usual) and former first-round pick David Peterson has impressed in his first three MLB outings, Mets starters have the sixth-worst earned run average (5.18) in all of baseball. Some of that is due to a porous defense that ranks near the bottom of the league in both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating — Mets’ starters have a much-better 4.14 FIP — but the team simply hasn’t gotten much help from Porcello, Wacha or Steven Matz to date.
The 27-year-old Gsellman is no stranger to starting games. He came up through the system as a starter and made 29 starts for the Mets across his first two big league seasons. He’s been better as a reliever — 4.60 ERA, 4.31 FIP in the rotation vs. 4.25 ERA, 3.97 FIP out of the ‘pen — but the Mets are thin on alternatives at this point. Right-hander Walker Lockett could’ve been an alternative, but it seems he’ll continue in a long relief role for now. It’s possible that Lockett will piggyback off Gsellman’s starts early in the transition. Gsellman will be limited to about 45 pitches tonight, per DiComo.
Over at their alternate training site in Brooklyn, the Mets have right-handers Erasmo Ramirez, Corey Oswalt, Ariel Jurado and Yefry Ramirez as options with big league experience. Of that bunch, only Oswalt and Jurado are on the 40-man roster.
In parts of five big league seasons, Gsellman has tallied 309 innings of 4.43 ERA ball (4.14 FIP) with averages of 7.5 strikeouts, 3.2 walks and 0.96 home runs per nine innings pitched. He’s been clobbered when facing opponents a third time in a game (.329/.393/.537), so the Mets could look to limit him to two trips through the order more often than not even when he’s sufficiently stretched out.
Mets Make Handful Of Roster Moves
The Mets announced a few moves before their loss to the Marlins on Friday. The club activated right-hander Robert Gsellman from the injured list, optioned lefty Daniel Zamora to its alternate training site, added infielder Luis Carpio to its 60-man player pool and outrighted outfielder Ryan Cordell.
Gsellman hasn’t pitched this season on account of a right triceps injury, which has weakened a New York bullpen that has begun 2020 in below-average fashion. Mets relievers ranked 24th in ERA entering Friday’s action.
Gsellman, for his part, has hardly been automatic when it comes to stopping runs, but he has given the Mets 143 2/3 decent innings in relief since 2018, and he averaged a career-best 95.4 mph on his fastball last season. He owns a 4.28 ERA/4.00 FIP with 8.09 K/9 and 3.27 BB/9 in 151 1/3 frames as a reliever.
Cordell joined the Mets on a minor league deal in January, but the team designated him for assignment Wednesday after he opened the season with four appearances and four trips to the plate. The former member of the White Sox cleared waivers after the Mets designated him, and he’s now in line to remain with the organization.
Marcus Stroman “Week To Week” With Calf Injury
The Mets announced that they’ve placed right-handers Marcus Stroman and Robert Gsellman on the injured list. Stroman, who was said to be experiencing tightness in his calf earlier today, has been now diagnosed with a tear of some extent in that ailing calf muscles. Gsellman is experiencing some discomfort in his right triceps.
The IL placement for Stroman and the announced muscle tear are more ominous than this afternoon’s report of mere tightness in his calf. It should be noted that even a Grade 1 strain indicates some stretching or minor tearing, so it’s still possible that his absence won’t be substantial. Manager Luis Rojas tells reporters that Stroman will not require surgery (Twitter link via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com), but the skipper also referred to Stroman’s injury as a “week to week” situation, which isn’t a great outlook in a season that’ll barely span nine weeks from start to finish.
The loss of Stroman is a brutal hit for the Mets, who were already without right-hander Noah Syndergaard for the entire season due to Tommy John surgery. Two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom will still head up the team’s rotation, but he’ll now be followed by Steven Matz, Rick Porcello, Michael Wacha and a to-be-determined fifth starter. Non-roster veteran Erasmo Ramirez could be one option, and 2017 first-round pick David Peterson is also in the Mets’ player pool. Right-hander Walker Lockett was placed on the IL this week with a back injury.
On a personal level for Stroman, the injury is about as poorly timed as possible. Already facing a shortened platform season prior to his first foray into free agency this winter, missing multiple weeks could give Stroman fewer than 10 starts to demonstrate his health and effectiveness for interested clubs. Given the potential for teams to be stingier than usual on mid-range free agents following this year’s revenue losses, the calf issue could prove particularly costly for Stroman, who posted a 3.22 ERA with better than a strikeout per inning in 184 1/3 frames last year.
As for Gsellman, it seems there’s lesser concern. DiComo tweets that his IL stint is expected to be back-dated the maximum three days, and a return to the bullpen in early August doesn’t appear to be out of the question. In two years since converting to full-time relief role, the now-27-year-old Gsellman has a 4.45 ERA with 8.1 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 in 143 2/3 innings.