Brandon Nimmo optioned to Vegas

by Brian Erni April 10, 2018

Brandon Nimmo has been optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas.

The Mets now say they've optioned Brandon Nimmo to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room for Corey Oswalt. Nimmo hadn't been playing much since Michael Conforto's return, but, wow. Wasn't expecting that.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 10, 2018

In truth, it's not that much of a surprise.

Since Michael Conforto's return, Nimmo had gotten only three plate appearances. And with Adrian González slashing .269/.387/.423 and playing a sterling defense at first base through the first nine games of the season, the move that I had advocated for a few months -- moving Jay Bruce to first and going with a Céspedes-Nimmo-Conforto outfield -- doesn't make much sense.

On top of that, the Mets' existing bullpen needs a little reprieve. Mickey Callaway has masterfully handled the pen thus far, but to continue giving Callaway the right ammunition to turn to late in the game, they'll need some fresh bullets. That's why Corey Oswalt is here for a coming stretch that sees the Mets play 12 games in the next 13 days (the final 10 of which without an off day).

So this isn't anything to get riled up about. Nimmo, who exhibited excellent plate discipline, great baserunning, an his always affable personality, will be back with the big club soon enough. He's very much part of this team's long-term plan. There's just no obvious place for him right now. So in the meantime, the Mets will have the benefit of a fresh arm, in the form of one of their top pitching prospects, to take some of the strain off the regulars out of the pen.

Smart use of transactions and organizational depth. Geez, who is this team?!