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12/1/23

Reese Kaplan -- If Not Narvaez, Who Then to Backup Alvarez?


After having considered the free agent prospects to help the Mets with their starting rotation and their bullpen, now it’s time to do a similar analysis of position players.  This evaluation is quite a bit more difficult as you need to make either a commitment to go with the Baby Mets in 2024 or to use them in trades to help address other needs.  That decision needs to be made because it would affect the age and role of additional bats who would be slated as starting players or to serve as backups.  


Backup Catcher Free Agent Candidates

Given the fact that the Mets already have Omar Narvaez under contract for 2024 to the tune of $7 million, it’s possible they simply sit tight here and rely on his experience and language ability to help Francisco Alvarez adjust to being the everyday starting catcher. 

The opposite perspective would be to pay down a lot of his contract and find a taker somewhere much as they did when they wanted to get James McCann off the roster.  For now Michael Perez is no longer in the minors and Tomas Nido is not on the 40-man roster.  Pickings are somewhat thin internally if Narvaez leaves, but barring a major injury to Alvarez it would seem that the backup catcher doesn’t look to get into games more than once a week.  Consequently on the list of available catchers it would seem to make sense only to consider ones who would be affordable and content in a secondary role.


Mitch Garver is an interesting case of someone with great home run power but the inability to land a full time gig.  In fact, back in 2019 while playing for the Twins he got a Silver Slugger for his 31 home run season done in just 311 ABs.  You’d think he would be a 500+ AB player but that 311 was his highest single season number of ABs.  Even last year for the Texas Rangers he hit 19 HRs in just 296 ABs.  He’s likely looking to be a starter and as such would not be an appropriate choice but wouldn’t that bat look good as a spare catcher should an injury happen to Alvarez?  Garver earned $3.9 million last season and likely would trade additional years for a significant increase in salary.  He’ll be turning 33 soon and at that age for a catcher backup duty may be a realistic scenario.



Someone David Stearns knows well is former Brewers’ backup catcher Victor Caratini.  The veteran has only delivered a .236 batting average for his entire career and in his best ever season back in 2019 delivered 11 HRs in 244 ABs.  He has shown to have extrapolated to a full time basis roughly 15 HR per year power and earned $2.8 million in 2023.  He’s an adequate choice and a few years younger than Garver but not exciting for sure.



A potentially ideal backup catcher would be former Rockie and former Mariner Tom Murphy.  I’d once before long ago advocated him as a Mets acquisition prior to the James McCann deal.  He always struck me as a guy with good power who was underutilized.  Now as he is in his 30s backup is a suitable role but to give you an idea of what I mean, since 2019 (after skipping 2020) he has had just over 800 ABs while slugging 38 HRs and driving in 93 while hitting .250.  Turning 33 in 2024, he last earned $1.625 million as a part time player.  $2 million would probably get it done.  That seems like a more-or-less perfect fit in the backup catcher role for the Mets.


Next we'll take a look at the infielders who are available and affordable. Given the logjam the Mets have there now with Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Ronny Mauricio, Francisco Lindor, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos, it might take some decluttering before it would make sense to reach out for the new version of Luis Guillorme, but you do need to look. We'll see on Saturday.

13 comments:

  1. Some good choices.

    Will we ever see Nido again?

    Mets signed reliever Austin Adams. Not a good year in 2023. In 2021, a wild year…53 innings, 28 hits, 74 Ks and TWENTY FOUR HIT BATSMEN!

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    1. He could be our Designated Retribution guy if our hitters continue to get drilled.😄

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  2. I think to some extent David Stearns is starting to stockpile spare parts which opens up the possibility of returning Mets and/or Baby Mets to be included in potential trades. Adams is that quintessential "live arm" but without control it's not necessarily a good thing. Remember guys we've endured in the past who could throw 100 mph but no one knew where the pitch was headed?

    I still think the FA-only (or mostly) approach makes sense while they attempt to become competitive in 2024 but truly contending in 2025. Towards that end the rumored acquisition of two Japanese pitchers plus Severino to accompany Senga and Quintana sort of looks like an impressive rotation. Now they need to do a similar rebuild of the bullpen and not necessarily with one-year options in their twilight years (with the exception of David Robertson or Craig Kimbrel to take over 8th inning duties).

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  3. Tom Murphy seems a strong back up catcher fit.

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  4. I look at Defense as the main element in a backup, and Nido provides a lot of that. Plus, he already knows our pitchers, including the ones at AAA this year. And he probably can be a good mentor to Alvy.

    Why go outside to find a guy who hopefully will get only a very few starts?

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  5. Narvaez is fine with me. Great defense is what you want from a backup catcher

    Parada is starting to look less and less as either a starter or trade bait. May morph into backup role in 2025

    Past that maybe three catching prospects

    Mets don't need to address this position

    Also, speaks Alvarez's native language

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  6. NarvĂĄez is Venezuelan. New Venezuelan manager, Venezuelan phenom as the starting C who needs veteran guidance. New front office guy, assistant to Stearns, also Venezuelan - the country that now seems to be producing much of the international talent. I’m betting they stick with NarvĂĄez and hope for a bounce back year from him.

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    1. Also, I think this is fine. NarvĂĄez is a LOT better than he showed last season, and I always thought that one reason to bring him in was to be a guide and teacher for his countryman Alvarez when he got here. Alvarez definitely looked like he was handling the show last season, both offensively and defensively, so perhaps they were right about that.

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  7. Great article. I’m perfectly fine with NarvĂĄez as the backup. I could see him being solid next season as he continues to serve as a mentor to Álvarez.

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  8. Reese, one guy I would be all in on for the ‘pen is LHP Yuki Matsui. Free agent from Japan with no posting fee as he served ten years in NPB. Age 28. He has a 1.42 ERA over the last 3 years with a 36.4 K%. 2.43 ERA, 1.107 WHIP, 12.0 strikeouts per nine innings and 236 saves since making his professional debut in 2014. Fastest to 200 saves. These numbers probably won’t translate into MLB , but the stuff should mostly play.Matsui impressed with his Forkball, Slider but fastball sits at 91-93 MPH. Could fit in nicely as a setup. Haven’t heard much about him mostly due to Yamamoto, Imanaga market.
    Your thoughts..

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  9. I wonder what the record is for most Japanese pitchers on a MLB roster. 😁

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  10. The Mets already have Francisco Alvarez and Omar Narvaez on the major league roster. Behind them in the high minors are Nido, Matt O'Neill, Kevin Parada, Hayden Senger, Jose Hernandez, and have today signed Cooper Hummel and Tyler Heineman.

    That's a lot of catchers. Unless there is going to be a rule change in the Winter Meetings that adds more home plates to the field, we don't need that many catchers, even given the Mets' luck with injuries.

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  11. I'd read about Matsui and thought he would be a great setup/transition guy to support Diaz. Hopefully he performs better than our last Matsui did!

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