Bobby Parnell, Travis d’Arnaud, and Dilson Herrera are all set to return to the Mets this week, leaving management in a rather tough position.
For all three to be activated, three roster spots need to be cleared. As it stands right now, Danny Muno, Erik Goeddel, Hansel Robles, and Kevin Plawecki are all candidates to be optioned to Triple-A.
The obvious move would be replacing Plawecki with d’Arnaud, as it would allow both of them to continue getting regular playing time. Plawecki has hit .211/.312/.568 with two homers in 117 plate appearances but to be fair, it was a lot for him to take on at once, especially after only 52 total games in Triple-A.
The rest is less obvious. The Mets could switch back to a five-man bench and seven-man bullpen, or they could stick with the short bench they are using right now. With Parnell being limited early on once he returns and Gee still adjusting to the bullpen, the Mets are probably going to stick with the setup they have now, keeping the larger bullpen. This would mean Muno gets sent down for Herrera.
The last demotion would probably be between Goeddel and Robles. Robles has shown flashes of dominance this season but Goeddel has been far more consistent, posting a 2.05 ERA in 21 appearances. Over 22 innings, Goeddel has struck out 23 (9.4 K/9) and walked six (2.5 BB/9). Robles has a 4.97 ERA in 16 appearances with 13 strikeouts and five walks in 12.2 innings.
Of course, a trade could throw a wrench into all of this…
