Mets reach 1-year deal with catcher Narváez (source)
NEW YORK — The Mets on Thursday added one other catcher to an already crowded backstop combine, agreeing to phrases with veteran Omar Narváez on a one-year contract with a participant choice for 2024, in keeping with a supply. The deal is value $15 million assured, together with the $7 million choice.
Narváez joins a catching crew that already contains veterans James McCann and Tomás Nido, in addition to the No. 1 prospect in baseball, Francisco Álvarez. Should the Mets preserve all three on their roster, it might point out strongly that Álvarez is ready to start subsequent season again at Triple-A Syracuse, the place he spent a lot of final summer season. But the transfer additionally opens the door for the Mets to commerce McCann, who has underperformed since becoming a member of New York and is due $24.3 million over the following two seasons.
Reached late Thursday evening, a Mets official indicated that the membership has sufficient flexibility to hold three catchers on the Opening Day roster, particularly since Narváez — in contrast to McCann and Nido — bats left-handed. But the official acknowledged that the ultimate two months of this offseason might nonetheless change the equation.
If nothing else, the Mets hope they’ve upgraded their offense with the addition of Narváez, a 30-year-old Venezuelan who produced a profession 12 months with 22 house runs and an .813 OPS for the Mariners in 2019. Narváez has alternated good and unhealthy seasons since that point, homering simply 4 instances with a .597 OPS for the Brewers final summer season. But he’s a profession .268/.345/.406 hitter towards right-handers, making him a extra pure platoon-mate for both McCann or Nido.
It’s additionally attainable the Mets carry Álvarez as their major designated hitter, however they’re extra more likely to ship him for extra defensive seasoning given his significance to their future. Álvarez, who earned a promotion down the stretch and made the Mets’ playoff roster, is taken into account MLB-ready offensively however uncooked behind the plate.
The Narváez signing continues what has been a hyperactive offseason for Mets basic supervisor Billy Eppler, who has already agreed to free-agent offers for Edwin Díaz, Justin Verlander, José Quintana, Brandon Nimmo, David Robertson and Kodai Senga, along with a commerce for Brooks Raley.
