New York Mets urged to sign free agent backstop 'ASAP'

Should the Mets make a move to acquire this veteran catcher?

Sep 19, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal (6) reacts as he runs the bases after hitting a game tying solo home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have not had the season they were hoping for when it comes to their catchers' health.

This started when Francisco Alvarez suffered a fractured hamate bone in his left hand in early March, which required surgery and caused him to be sidelined for at least 6-8 weeks.

Francisco Alvarez will undergo surgery due to a fracture in the hamate bone on his left hand. He will miss 6-8 weeks, per Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. pic.twitter.com/auu8wMwR0Y

— MLB (@MLB) March 9, 2025

While Alvarez is expected to rejoin the team in April, his return can't come soon enough, especially after backup catcher Luis Torrens (who has been elevated to a starting role since Alvarez's injury) has been out of the lineup for the past several games due to a bruised right forearm, which has forced Hayden Senger to start every game. 

This many injuries at one position to start a season isn't a good sign. And this seems to be the basis of why Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller suggested the Mets should consider signing veteran catcher Yasmani Grandal in an April 8 article that was titled 'MLB Free-agent Signings That Need to Happen Asap'.

"Grandal caught only 8.3 percent of stolen base attempts last season and allowed more than one for every nine innings played. He turned things around with the bat, though, slugging .400 and homering once for every 27 trips to the plate. (Compared to once every 60 plate appearances in 2022-23.)," Miller wrote.

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"By catcher's standards, that's not too shabby. In fact, Grandal's triple-slash was close to what Austin Wells managed last season (.229/.322/.395), and Wells was batting leadoff for the Yankees on Opening Day.

"While he's no Ivan Rodriguez or Yadier Molina on defense, Grandal's glove isn't a colossal negative. He could still be just about the best backup catcher in the league, or even the primary starter for a handful of clubs," Miller continued after listing the Mets as one of three candidates to sign Grandal.

Free-agent signings that need to happen ASAP 👀@kerrancejames 👉 https://t.co/g05QVqEn1T pic.twitter.com/U2W3h0XI09

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) April 8, 2025

Given that Alvarez is hearing a return, perhaps this signing is less necessary than it might have been a month ago. Still, a team can never have too much insurance behind the dish.