My guess is that Alvarez will have to wait a bit to make his impact in the majors this season. He won't be catching every day (nor should he, since the Mets can give his body a rest by utilizing the DH spot), but he absolutely cannot be called up to be a DH only since that would stunt his defensive development.Ī happy medium, and perhaps the best way to ease Alvarez into the role of the regular catcher, would be to have him catch two or three times a week while serving as the DH a few times a week.

The most complicated thing here will likely be figuring out what exactly Alvarez's role will be when he makes it.

The Mets should not allow the presence of the Vogelbach/Pham/Ruf trio (and Ruf could be traded sooner than later) to keep Alvarez off the roster. To put it simply, when he's ready, he's ready. Here's the other side of the coin as it pertains to Alvarez.įrancisco Alvarez / Brad Penner - USA TODAY Sports

There are also some potential roster issues, specifically the presence of Daniel Vogelbach, Tommy Pham, and Darin Ruf, three players who are bat-first and don't offer much defensively.Īdditionally, carrying Alvarez would require the Mets having three catchers on the 26-man roster, which isn't ideal. It should also be noted that in addition to his offensive and defensive responsibilities, he will be one of the people responsible for managing a staff that includes Verlander and Scherzer - so there will be a ton on his plate. The first revolves around Alvarez's defense, which he still needs to shore up a bit. While Alvarez's power potential is huge - and the Mets are still in serious need of more offensive punch because the Carlos Correa deal fell through - there are some possible roadblocks in his way. Noting that the 21-year-old was continuing to add 'more stripes' to his uniform as he continues to develop, the way Showalter answered a question about Alvarez's chances to make the team out of camp made it sound as if it was a long shot. Some people view that as highly unlikely, and manager Buck Showalter made it seem unlikely while speaking about Alvarez on Friday. He said a few weeks ago that his defense is ready and that he expects to be on the Opening Day roster this season. New York City, New York, USA New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (50) talks to first base coach Wayne Kirby (54) in the dugout during the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field.

Play city of heroes 2018