Mets Rumors: Blake Swihart is not the answer to their catcher woes

Allegedly, the Boston Red Sox have not heard from the New York Mets regarding a possible trade for Blake Swihart. Rightfully so, he’s not the answer to their catching woes.

When Travis d’Arnaud suffered a season-ending injury, New York Mets fans wondered who would replace him. Things got even more interesting when Kevin Plawecki suffered an injury of his own, leaving the Mets with a catching tandem of Jose Lobaton and Tomas Nido.

They’ve put a Band-Aid on the wound for now but may need to look at outside options as the season progresses.

One name mentioned as a possible target is Boston Red Sox catcher/utility man Blake Swihart. Once a highly regarded minor league prospect at around the same time as J.T. Realmuto, Swihart has fallen on hard times. He’s barely a major league player and catching less than he used to.

The Red Sox decided Christian Vazquez was a better long-term catching option for them thus leaving Swihart as a man with no official job title. They’ve tried converting him into more of a utility man with average results. With less than 162 MLB games of experience under his belt since debuting in 2015, Swihart is far from the solution the Mets need.

I like Swihart, but not for the Mets. He’s a much better fit for the Washington Nationals. Luckily, this may actually benefit the Mets.

Those who agree with me will be happy to learn that the Mets haven’t contacted the Red Sox about a trade for Swihart.

Can we blame them? He’s not a very good fit.

When July rolls around and non-contending teams are selling, the one squad the Mets may need to compete with most is Washington. Their farm system is better than the Mets, giving them a distinct advantage.

However, their unwillingness to part with top prospects Victor Robles and Juan Soto does tell us that they may not be willing to pay the highest price possible.

Swihart is a fine player in the exact role he has with the Red Sox right now. I view him as an emergency catcher who should continue to see action at first base and left field. The Mets don’t really have a need for someone like this. They need a guy whose role is strictly to suit up behind the dish. Swihart has already transitioned into a different role, increasing his value in other ways to other teams.

In their search for a new catcher in 2018, the Mets cannot pick the wrong guy. They only need someone to help get them through the season before taking a step back and opening up their options in the offseason.

Next: Mets had offseason interest in Marlins Realmuto, Castro

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Right now, Swihart isn’t worth their time. I don’t see this changing any time soon either.