Mets getting interest from Chicago Cubs about catcher Rene Rivera

The Mets are fielding calls for a lot of players that will become free agents at the end of the year, but the Cubs are reportedly looking at one that we hadn’t thought of

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Chicago Cubs are reportedly calling the Mets about their backup catcher, Rene Rivera. Interest in the 33-year-old has been sparked by his slightly above average offensive year in 2017 so far.

Rivera’s slash line of .245/.291/.395 isn’t much to write home about, but it’s better than most backups around the league, at least. He has a little bit of pop as he’s gone deep six times in almost 150 at bats.

The Cubs have been without a real backup catcher since late June. The team designated the veteran Miguel Montero for assignment after some bad blood occurred in the Cubs clubhouse. A presence like Rivera’s is surely attractive for Chicago whose getting back into the race after their sluggish start this first half of the season.

On the flip side, while it’s not likely the Mets will get anything great from trading Rivera away, they should still look into it. He may not get a huge return alone, but Rene’s arm and defense could really help a contender in the late months of the summer.

The Cubs have also had some interest in Addison Reed, so if the Mets combined both players in the deal, you’re all of a sudden looking at a pretty attractive package for Chicago that could yield a better player in return.

Next: Jay Bruce garnering little trade interest

The trade deadline is six days away, and we’re sure Sandy Alderson and his staff are working overtime to get the best deals done as this season keep churning. The Mets will undoubtedly see some players move, so don’t be surprised if it’s one or two like Rene Rivera that we weren’t all expecting.