Mets add Omar Narvaez to crowded catching position, source says
Omar Narvaez #10 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates after scoring in the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on June 18, 2022 in Cincinnati. Credit: Getty Images
The Mets’ catching situation just got a little more complicated — and, they think, better.
They agreed to sign Omar Narvaez to a one-year contract that includes a player option for a second season, a source said Thursday night. He’ll make $8 million in 2023 and, if he chooses to stay, $7 million in ’24.
Narvaez joins James McCann, Tomas Nido and prospect Francisco Alvarez — a young slugger whom the Mets consider their future at the position — as backstops on the 40-man roster, creating a crowded and sneaky expensive section of the depth chart that hints at at least one more move to come.
General manager Billy Eppler said at the outset of the offseason that the Mets were open to carrying three catchers on the active roster. But it seems unlikely that they would carry three light-hitting catchers, which Narvaez, McCann and Nido are. Alvarez, whose offensive abilities are considered far more advanced than his defense, is not guaranteed a spot in the majors to open the year after making a late-season cameo in 2022.
The Mets reportedly have been open to trading McCann but so far have not found a taker for the two years and $24 million remaining on his contract.
Narvaez, 31 next season, is reputed to be a strong defensive catcher but has been a below-average hitter over the past three seasons. He is a lefthanded batter, however, differentiating him from the other trio, and has been better against righthanded pitchers in his career.
His .206/.292/.305 slash line last season was better than McCann’s and about as good as Nido’s — except that Narvaez was better against righties, Nido against lefties. They could form a platoon that, based on their recent track record, would be mediocre overall but better than what the Mets got from the position in 2022 — or way better, were Narvaez to find his 2018-19 hitting form when he had respective OPS of .794 and .813.
Narvaez ranked seventh among 60 qualified catchers in Baseball Savant’s pitch-framing metric last season. Eighth on the list: Nido.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
