The Mets have activated right-hander Robert Gsellman from the 60-day injured list. In corresponding moves, utilityman Brandon Drury has been designated for assignment, while right-hander Tylor Megill has been optioned to Triple-A.
Gsellman will get a couple more chances to get on the mound during what been another injury-plagued year for the swingman. A right lat strain sent Gsellman to the IL back on June 21, thus limiting him to only 26 2/3 innings in 2021. Since injuries also greatly limited Gsellman in 2020, he has pitched a total of 40 2/3 innings over the last two seasons.
All this missed time has had an adverse effect on Gsellman’s earnings, considering that 2020 and 2021 were both arbitration-eligible years. Gsellman will be arb-eligible for a third and final time this winter, but won’t get much beyond his $1.3 million 2021 salary. On the plus side, this low price tag could make the Mets inclined to bring him back rather than non-tendering him.
Drury signed a minor-league deal with the Mets last winter and ended up earning $1.55 million in guaranteed salary once they selected his contract. In 88 plate appearances at the big league level, Drury provided above-average (112 OPS+, 114 wRC+) offense, hitting .274/.307/.476 with four homers. Much of that production, however, was packed into a seven-game hit streak in late July. It seems likely that the seven-year MLB veteran will have to settle for another minors contract this offseason in order to catch on with another team.
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