Mets catcher options to explore in free agency this winter

Mets free agent catcher candidate – James McCann

James McCann might be, in my eyes, the best candidate for the Mets to replace Ramos this winter. I understand he’s not Realmuto. I’m thinking beyond just 2021.

I have high hopes for catching prospect Francisco Alvarez. He won’t be in the big leagues for a few more seasons, but when he is ready, I want to see him get every start possible. A deal with Realmuto may overlap with Alvarez’s progression, leaving the Mets in yet another position where they have two capable players at one position.

McCann won’t cost as much as Realmuto which can allow them to invest more at other positions. The starting rotation will certainly need a boost this winter. He’s only one year older than Realmuto and he has stayed relatively healthy since becoming a regular back in 2015.

McCann is a little bit of a gamble because of how well he has played since joining the Chicago White Sox in 2019. He hit .273/.328/.460 with 18 home runs in 2019 and was an All-Star for the first time in his career. Each number from that slash line was well above his career totals.

Fortunately for his free agent case, McCann has continued to hit well in 2020. We’ll have to wait and see how long he can maintain it.

Known mostly as a defensive catcher, McCann may be able to give the Mets the short-term boost they need both behind and at the dish. He’s certainly a better hitter than an internal option like Tomas Nido.

At a respectable price, I think McCann could be a great addition to the Mets. He won’t single-handedly win them a World Series. He can save the pitchers from a lot of aggravation.

Everyone else

Realmuto and McCann aren’t the only free agent catchers this winter. However, they are the only two I would have any interest in.

I’ve been checking the numbers regularly of the other dozen men or so set to hit the open market. None of them are getting me interested.

There are a few reasons why. Many of the free agent catchers are already into their mid-30s. This isn’t the worst thing to do for a year or two if the backstop can give the team some stability on defense and call a good game. While the Mets can certainly go that route, I cannot condone it.

Familiar names like Jason Castro, Francisco Cervelli, and Kurt Suzuki are free agents after 2020 yet all are in what I consider “TV dad age.” I grew up thinking dads were around 34 years of age or older because of all of the shows I watched. I don’t want my catcher in this age range. I want someone younger, fresher, and ready to give the team a few years of service.

Worse than the age is how poorly many of these catchers have hit throughout their career and even recently. I wouldn’t put too much stock into anyone having an atypically awesome 2020 season because of how short things are.

Taking everything into account, there isn’t an attractive enough catcher out there for the Mets to add aside from Realmuto and McCann.

I do think the Mets will make some kind of a major change behind the plate this winter via free agency or trade. Do they go big with Realmuto, smaller with McCann, or give us the spin and sign a guy with a career .230 batting average?

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If all else fails, make a trade. It’s how the Mets landed some of their best catchers of all-time. Why not do it again?