Mets catcher options to explore in free agency this winter

The New York Mets need to address their catching situation this winter. Unfortunately, the free agent market doesn’t have too many credible names for them to consider.

Wilson Ramos has fallen out of favor with me. The original deal that brought him to the New York Mets felt underappreciated in 2019. His lack of hitting, continued poor defense, and aging body all have me concerned it’s time for the Mets to move on.

This offseason, the team will have a chance to decide on Ramos’ future with the team. Do they pick up his player option or move on from the veteran backstop?

I’m sure as we get closer to the offseason, Rising Apple will cover more available options to potential holes that open up on the roster. In the meantime, let’s start with the free agency catcher options the Mets should explore.

Mets free agent catcher candidate – J.T. Realmuto

The best free agent catcher this offseason is J.T. Realmuto. If you’re even slightly familiar with the game of baseball, you know his name.

Realmuto is a longtime National League East rival of the Mets. He spent the first years of his career building up this reputation with the Miami Marlins and has been doing it with the Philadelphia Phillies the last two.

Realmuto is a dream free agent candidate for the Mets. He can hit and play defense. There’s really nothing negative to say about his current abilities.

The only negative would be that he has played so much in his career that there may be concern about an injury eventually catching up with him. I don’t see why this would be a bigger concern for him over anyone else.

Some more good news; Realmuto is a former client of Brodie Van Wagenen’s. We all know how much BVW adores his ex-clients which could very well mean Realmuto ends up in the Big Apple riding the 7-Line to the games.

I would personally prefer the Mets spend to upgrade at another position with the price tag Realmuto will command. However, you won’t catch me crying if he ends up wearing blue and orange.

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.