The New York Mets are in the middle of another disastrous season. After entering the season as a sneaky third wild-card contender, the blue and orange are now 10 games under.500 (23-33) with just over a third of the season completed.
The Mets have struggled to get consistent production from the catching position
The Mets’ troubles have been attributed to a lack of performance from the catching position since Francisco Álvarez’s surgery for a damaged ulnar collateral ligament. On Friday, David Stearns, president of baseball operations, decided it was time to cut bait. He assigned Omar Narváez for assignment and traded for a depth catcher from the Yankees to take his place.
Mets acquire catcher from the Yankees
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets have acquired catcher Luis Torrens from the New York Yankees for $100,000.
Torrens began his baseball career on July 2, 2012, when the New York Yankees signed him as an international free agent. The Venezuelan native spent the following three years in the Yankees’ minor league system until getting selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2016 Rule 5 draft and quickly transferred to the San Diego Padres.
Torrens, who was only 20 years old and had never played above single-A, made the Padres’ 2017 opening-day roster.
The right-handed batter appeared in 56 games, batting.163/.243/.203 with seven RBIs before spending 14 games with the major league team over the next two seasons and was traded to the Seattle Mariners at the 2020 trade deadline.
Torrens would get his first shot to play on a daily basis with the Mariners in 2021, hitting.243/.299/.431 with 15 home runs and 47 RBIs in 108 games.
The Venezuelan native struggled to recreate his performance in 2022, bouncing between Triple-A Tacoma and Seattle before becoming non-tenured at the end of the season.
Torrens would sign a minor-league contract with the Chicago Cubs beginning in 2023 and got a cup of coffee in the big leagues, going 5-for-20 with three RBIs before being designated for assignment.
Before returning to the Mariners, the right-handed hitter spent time with the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals. Torrens went 2 for 8 with the Green and Blue before becoming a free agent after the 2023 season.
The 28-year-old signed with the Yankees and was assigned to their Triple-A team, where he has hit.279/.339/.469 in 30 games, including five home runs and 19 RBIs
What does this mean for the Mets?
With Narvaez gone, Tomás Nido will take over as the starting catcher until Alvarez returns. The 22-year-old just began his rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton yesterday and will most likely need a week or two to get back into everyday shape and catch numerous games in a row.
Torrens will serve as Nido’s backup for the time being, but he will have the opportunity to show himself in the major leagues. If the 28-year-old performs well, Stearns will have a difficult time deciding who should stay on the major league roster.
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