Mets option Kevin Plawecki to minor league camp

The Mets have optioned catcher Kevin Plawecki to minor league camp and will begin the season with Travis d’Arnaud and Rene Rivera as the two catchers on the roster.

This move comes as no surprise, as the Mets re-signed Rivera to a one year, $1.75 million deal this offseason. Rivera appeared in 65 games last season, batting .222/.291/.341 while playing excellent defense. While those numbers may not exactly jump off the page, they are an upgrade over Plawecki’s 2016 line; the 26-year-old hit .197/.298/.265 with just one home run over 48 games. The former 35th overall pick has continued to struggle in spring training, hitting .241/.267/.379 with one home run in 29 at bats. Meanwhile, starting catcher Travis d’Arnaud has impressed, hitting .326/.408/.535 with two home runs over 43 spring at bats.

While time may be running out for Plawecki to prove that he belongs in the major leagues, it is easy to forget that he was a consensus top-100 prospect as recently as two years ago. If he can put together a solid season in Triple-A Las Vegas, and maybe even if he can’t, Plawecki will surely get another stint with the big league club. Until then, Kevin can wait for his next opportunity to arise.