Mets acquire veteran catcher Kelly Shoppach from Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox catcher Kelly Shoppach celebrates with teammates after they defeated the Miami Marlins 7-5 in an interleague baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston. (June 19, 2012) Credit: AP
CINCINNATI -- The Mets made a move they hope has some long-term effects Tuesday, acquiring veteran catcher Kelly Shoppach from the Red Sox for a player to be named.
Shoppach, who didn't make it to Great American Ball Park in time for the start of Tuesday night's game, will be on a test drive of sorts as he platoons with Josh Thole for the rest of the season.
"Well, he's going to catch certainly against lefthanders," manager Terry Collins said. " . . . [Bench coach] Bob [Geren] and I were in here just now talking about the damage he can do against lefthanders."
Shoppach, 32, batted .250 with five homers and 17 RBIs in 48 games with the Red Sox this season, his first after spending the previous two years with the Rays. He has 31 homers and a .530 slugging percentage in 492 career at-bats against lefthanded pitchers. The Mets want to see if he might be a viable option behind the plate for 2013.
"We wanted to certainly take a look at him the last six weeks here and see how he'll fit," Collins said. "Sandy [Alderson] just said, 'Look, we've made this deal, and this guy has got some big power.' Hopefully it will help out in that sense."
The Mets haven't received much offensive production from the catching position. Thole entered Tuesday night hitting .260 with a homer and 18 RBIs in 250 at-bats.
"He's still learning the ins and outs of calling games," Collins said of Thole. "But he puts the bat on the ball. We knew he would . . . That's who he is and what's got him here, over trying to hit the ball in the seats."
