Paul Articulates - Who stays? Part 3: Catchers

With a re-designed core and many new players and a deep reserve of prospects, this year’s spring training will become an intriguing competition for spots on the opening day 26-man roster.  

This series will take a look at the players that are in position to compete for a slot on that roster but are not a lock.  We will look at the pros and cons of carrying them with the MLB team when they break camp with the alternative being depth and development pieces in the minor leagues.

Some players are very well established as MLB regulars that are not reasonable candidates for demotion, so for the purposes of this review the following list of players are considered locked down on the MLB Roster:

Infielders: Francisco Lindor, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, Bo Bichette, 

Outfielders: Juan Soto, Luis Robert Jr., Tyrone Taylor

Pitchers: Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley

Catchers: Francisco Alvarez; Luis Torrens

Given this list, and MLB rules that allow only 26 players on the active roster from opening day through August 31st, and that a maximum of 13 pitchers can be listed among the 26 players, there will only be room to carry five more pitchers and five more position players beyond what is listed above.

Today we will take a look at the catchers that are vying for those five “contested” spots:

Catchers on the 40-man roster: Hayden Senger, Ben Rortvedt

Hayden Senger - I have always been a fan of Hayden Senger.  He is a terrific defensive catcher with a quick pop and a great arm.  Last year when Hayden was called up to back up Torrens during Alvarez' injury recovery period, he filled very nicely.  Baseball Savant had him in the 91st percentile for his pop time and the 80th percentile in blocks above average.  This is not a misprint - the third Mets catcher on a two catcher roster pops better than 90 percent of MLB catchers!  The issue that holds Senger back is his bat - his career average in the minors is .234.  During his time on the parent club last year he hit .181. A very dramatic offensive turn-around would be essential to his chances, but then again I don't see the Mets rostering three catchers in the early season so his chances of making the April roster are the same as his chances to beat out Luis Torrens.

Ben Rortvedt - Rortvedt was claimed off waivers in mid-February, ending his tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The Dodgers liked him, but were committed to accelerating the development of younger prospect Dalton Rushing.  With no options remaining for Rortvedt, the Dodgers twice tried to sneak him by on the waiver wire and failed.  That said, I don't like his chances more than Senger to make the team when they break camp.  His career batting average is .190 and his defensive stats are all around the 50th percentile. 

Catchers not on the 40-man roster but with spring training invites: Austin Barnes, Kevin Parada, Chris Suero

Austin Barnes - Another Dodgers catcher joined the Mets back in late January.  Austin Barnes is a strong defensive catcher with 11 years of experience and 612 major league games under his belt.  Barnes has a career slash line of .223/.322./338 which puts him in the long line of defense-first catchers.  However, his experience and defensive accomplishments as a Dodgers backup catcher give him an edge in this competition.  Considering the fact that Luis Torrens has a career slash line of .227/.288/.354 this could be quite a competition.  The factor that does not favor Barnes is his age.  37 is quite old for a position that traditionally wears down the body earlier than anywhere else on the field.

Kevin Parada - As the Mets top pick back in 2022, Parada came into the system highly touted for his offensive capability, including a power bat.  He has worked his way up through the system and spent the past year at AAA Syracuse, so it is natural that the Mets would give him a look during this year's spring training.  However, Parada's performance in the minors has not been quite as expected.  His defensive game was exposed with a weak rating on his arm, and his offensive numbers never reached the level that was expected.  He has never hit over .250 above low A and his .720 OPS for a minor league career does not match his slugging potential.  I don't expect him to make the big club at any time this year, particularly with the expanded field of catchers available.

Chris Suero - Chris Suero presents a very interesting case in his bid to make the club.  Unlike his rivals, Chris is not just limited to playing behind the plate.  He has experience at both first base and in the outfield corners.  This kind of versatility opens options for the roster on a team not expected to carry three catchers.  In his minors career, he has logged 350 innings at first base, and 409 innings in left field.  373 chances with 4 errors outside the catcher’s box equates to a .989 fielding percentage.  Suero is young (22 years old) and only has experience up to the AA level.  It would be quite a leap for him to break camp with the major league club, and I would project a very low probability that this happens.  But give him a little time, and he could be a very valuable roster piece.

In summary, the battle for roster slots at catcher is not going to come down to the team deciding to carry a third catcher because of some breakout performance during spring training.  It is going to be the battle for number two catcher between Luis Torrens and all comers.  Torrens has played admirably for the Mets these last two years and will not likely lose the position as their backup.  It is just a little more interesting than expected given some of the Mets recent signings like Austin Barnes and Ben Rortvedt.