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Mets Face Catcher Uncertainty as Francisco Alvarez Slumps

The club must decide whether to keep developing the 24-year-old or add outside competition for the 2027 starting job.

Overview

  • Alvarez has endured a severe skid, going 5-for-51 with 29 strikeouts over a 16-game stretch that became a focal point in early September.
  • The Mets have stopped treating Alvarez as the unquestioned everyday catcher and have mixed veteran Luis Torrens into regular starts to stabilize the position.
  • Torrens signed a two-year extension that keeps him with the Mets through 2028, giving the club a reliable internal fallback while Alvarez’s role is reevaluated.
  • The team has made short-term roster moves to add depth, claiming right-hander Cameron Weston and designating catcher Shawn Ross for assignment to clear 40-man space.
  • With Alvarez still under team control through 2029, the front office now faces a tradeoff between continued patience with his upside and bringing in legitimate competition that could take the job in 2027.