Insider sets record straight on Francisco Alvarez's role upon Mets return

Will Francisco Alvarez get his starting catcher job with the New York Mets back once he returns from injury?

Oct 20, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) reacts in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game six of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have been without starting catcher Francisco Alvarez for the entire regular season after Alvarez suffered a broken hamate bone in his left hand during spring training.

While this was initially thought to be a brutal blow for the club, backup catcher Luis Torrens has performed admirably in Alvarez's stead, hitting .241 with a .676 OPS and being an above-average defender, according to Baseball Savant.

Alvarez's return from injury is imminent. However, given how Torrens has done to this point, some are questioning whether Alvarez will automatically receive his starting job back once he returns to the team.

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And Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns kept speculation going when he said, "I think we have two catchers who we feel really good about," when asked if Francisco Alvarez would surely be the Mets' starting catcher upon his return on April 21.

"[Carlos Mendoza is] going to decide who plays every day and who gives us the best chance to win. And we certainly think Alvy's going to be a huge part of that," Stearns added, per SNY.

Despite Stearns' ambiguity, New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman seemingly set the record straight on this in an April 24 article by saying that Alvarez is almost guaranteed to get his job as starting catcher back as soon as he returns.

Heyman also added that Torrens has earned himself more playing opportunities than he likely would have received if Alvarez hadn't gotten hurt earlier this year.

Regardless of how playing time shakes out, the Mets having two dependable catchers who both deserve playing time is a good problem to have.

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