Just Mets

On Sunday, Sandy Alderson said the Mets will purchase the contract of catching prospect Kevin Plawecki from Triple-A Las Vegas, and place Travis d’Arnaud on the 15-day disabled list.

In nine games for Las Vegas, Plawecki was hitting .216 with six RBI, one walk and four strikeouts in 37 at-bats prior to his promotion.

After starting his season in an 0-for-17 skid over his first four games, Plawecki has gone. 8-for-20 with two doubles, a triple and six RBI over his last five games.

Here is a breakdown of the move:

Why Kevin Plawecki, and not Johnny Monell?

When Plawecki was re-assigned to minor league camp in March, Sandy Alderson said if d’Arnaud were to ever get injured, Plawecki would be the first in line to replace him at the big league level.

13 days later, that time came.

Yes, Monell had a big camp for the Mets, and in some corners of the organization, it was believed he was giving Anthony Recker a run for his money here. But, like Recker, Monell is viewed as a backup catcher and not someone who can play everyday. He hits from the left side and has some power, and I believe if Recker were to ever get hurt, Monell would be his replacement.

Will Plawecki play?

Alderson said on Sunday Plawecki’s playing time will be determined by Terry Collins, and Collins said on Sunday if Plawecki were brought up, he would play.

It’s the right call.

The Mets love Plawecki and view him as one of the top catching prospects in baseball. He is ranked the second best prospect in the Mets system and the sixth best catching prospect overall, based on MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo’s prospect rankings. It serves no purpose for him to come here and split time with Recker – his development can only be hindered if that were the case.

Early on, I could see Recker getting more playing time as part of an adjustment period for Plawecki. But ultimately, Plawecki is expected to be the everyday catcher until d’Arnaud returns.

How’s Plawecki’s defense?

Plawecki has always been viewed as an offensive-oriented catcher, but people in the organization are impressed with how much he’s improved behind the plate. He’s a big guy but he has a good arm and good hands behind the plate. As long as it continues to improve, he shouldn’t subtract from the team’s defense.

Can Plawecki play first base?

For now, the team has no intention and no reason to move Plawecki out from behind the plate. He has played first base at Triple-A but the design has been to give him a break from the heat while keeping his best in the lineup.

It’s fair to wonder if Plawecki could do the same up here to give both himself a break as well as Lucas Duda, especially against a deadly left-hander. But, that’s why the Mets have Michael Cuddyer and John Mayberry Jr., and for now there’s no reason to expect the a Mets to deviate from that blueprint.

What happens when D’Arnaud gets back?

For now, I assume Plawecki would get optioned back to Triple-A Las Vegas so he can play everyday. I suppose the Mets could work out a trade at that time, but that’s likely two months down the road, if not more, and it’s not clear how or if the Mets can maneuver that way.

The dilemma the Mets would face is if Plawecki excels, it’s difficult to justify optioning him to the minor leagues. On the other hand, d’Arnaud certainly doesn’t deserve any kind of demotion anyway. But at the same time, both will have to play on a full- time basis, so the Mets could be faced with a tough decision when the time comes.

However, Plawecki is here to solve an immediate problem. The Mets can worry about who stays and who goes when d’Arnaud is ready to be activated. Besides, these things have a tendency to work out, one way or another.