Francisco Alvarez gets candid about Mets decision to demote him

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez spoke about recently getting demoted to the minor leagues.

Jun 19, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) walks to the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

On June 22, news broke that the New York Mets were optioning 23-year-old catcher Francisco Alvarez to Triple-A Syracuse, which stemmed from Alvarez struggling (he was hitting .236 with a .652 OPS and 3 home runs while also playing below-average defense) throughout the 2025 campaign.

When asked what went into this decision, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, "A lot. Not an easy decision. Something that we don't take lightly when making this decision. Extensive conversations. But at the end, we decided that it was best for him to go down to Triple-A, play every day, work on whether it's the offense, the defense, just in general," per an X post from SNY.

"Right now, we feel like it's best for him to go down there and get reps."

Carlos Mendoza talks about what went into the decision to send Francisco Alvarez to Triple-A Syracuse: pic.twitter.com/MEILYqcSzE

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 22, 2025

No MLB-caliber player wants to get sent back to the minor leagues. And this was the sentiment that Alvarez shared, which was conveyed in a July 8 article from Will Sammon of The Athletic.

"It was not my expectation that they would send me down. But that’s what happened. And I feel that maybe that is what can be the best for me," Alvarez said, which Sammon included in an X post.

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Alvarez also admitted that he did not see the demotion coming, despite knowing that he was underperforming. Despite this, Alvarez also admitted that he's feeling about 90% of his usual confidence after the demotion, and his main focus right now is simply getting better on both offense and defense.

In Syracuse, Francisco Alvarez shared thoughts on getting demoted, what he is working on in Triple A.

"It was not my expectation that they would send me down. But that’s what happened. And I feel that maybe that is what can be the best for me."

Story: https://t.co/3rQkyJWAje

— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) July 8, 2025

Alvarez is hitting .231 with a .772 OPS and 2 home runs while playing solid defense in his past seven games in the minors. It will be interesting to see when New York deems him ready to rejoin the big league team.