Mets Catching Has Chance to Be Real Strength in 2023
In this story:
As the Mets get set to embark on the 2023 regular season next week, the team will have a little more stability behind the plate than in years past.
New York signed free agent Omar Narváez to a one-year deal with a player option for 2024 in December to pair with incumbent backstop Tomás Nido.
The writing was then on the wall for James McCann, who signed a four-year pact with New York prior to the 2021 season. McCann compiled under 1.0 fWAR over the span of two seasons and was ultimately shipped off to the Baltimore Orioles shortly after the Narváez signing.
The tandem of Narváez and Nido will give New York a solid mix of veteran leadership and strong defense, while allowing top prospect Francisco Álvarez to get some additional seasoning at Triple-A to begin the year.
Narváez, 31, originally debuted for the Chicago White Sox in 2016 and also made stops with the Seattle Mariners and the Milwaukee Brewers before latching on with New York this winter.
A defense forward catcher, Narváez ranked in the 88th percentile in pitch framing by Baseball Savant in 2022, and had 4.7 defensive runs preserved (DRP) and 5.0 catcher defensive adjustment (CDA), which ranked No. 22 and No. 22 respectively out of 120 qualified catchers by Baseball Prospectus in 2022.
While he had a poor offensive showing in 2022 (.206/.292/.305 triple slash, 71 wrC+), he is just one year removed from a solid 2021 season where he was worth 2.8 fWAR and had a slash line of .266/.342/.402 with 11 home runs.
At the very least, his defense is what's beneficial to the Mets, and he will likely get a ton of reps against right-handed pitchers.
Nido, 29 next month, has established himself as one of the top defenders in the game over the last couple years and will continue to be an asset to the team this year.
Over the last two years, Nido has been worth 1.8 fWAR and in 2022, ranked No. 2 by Baseball Prospectus in both CDA (16.7) and DRP (16.8). His pop time to second base was also above average in the 60th percentile according to Baseball Savant and his framing was in the 93rd percentile.
Narváez and Nido should both do a serviceable job holding down the fort behind the plate this season until Álvarez is good to go.
Álvarez, 21, debuted late last season for New York, but had ankle surgery shortly after the season concluded. The Venezuela native struggled this spring and was optioned to Triple-A earlier this week.
Spring Training should obviously be taken with a grain of salt. The Mets have all the time in the world and there's no reason to rush such a prized young talent.
The Mets decision to bring in Narváez was a smart one, and their overall outlook at catcher in the both the short term and long term looks strong.
Read More:
- Mets Option Francisco Alvarez to Triple-A
- Francisco Lindor on Edwin Diaz Injury: 'I Couldn't Stop Crying'
- Mets Reliever David Robertson on Pitch Clock: ‘Get rid of it’
Follow Rob Piersall on Twitter (@RTPiersall), be sure to bookmark Inside The Mets and check back daily for news, analysis and more.
