A case for the NY Mets to trade Francisco Alvarez or Luis Torrens

New York Mets catchers Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens have received plenty of trade buzz. Mixed reports about the club’s desire to move each, every fan has their own opinion.

You don’t trade either unless someone does something stupid like take a bad contract off the books, too. Alvarez has upside, Torrens is one of the best defenders in the sport, and together they make for an impressive duo.

But that’s also kind of why you need to trade one of them. Built different with Alvarez offering power while growing into an even better offensive player and Torrens focused on defense with a knack for clutch hitting, their differences make for an inconsistency when one swaps for the other. Rather than a singular balanced player, the Mets have a pair who can do what the other can’t.

The Mets might want to choose between prioritizing defense or offense behind the plate

In either example, it’s going to take a lot to get David Stearns to trade one of the catchers. Alvarez probably gets you more while Torrens could have a wider market. He is as much an option for teams looking for a temporary starter as he is for clubs focused on adding a strong backup.

In the offseason, flipping Alvarez for a controllable pitcher or another position of need makes a lot of sense. Reid Detmers, for instance, is the kind of player you agree to trade Alvarez for.

Pinpointing how much value Torrens has on the trade market is more difficult. He’s a backup who has shown he can’t hit much in a starter’s role. That can’t hold much value even if his game-calling abilities and cannon behind the plate are elite. What’s more, $5.75 million in each of the next two seasons seems relatively high for a player whose .665 OPS in 2024 was his recent peak.

It’s actually okay for the Mets to choose either player. Alvarez probably gets you more in a trade because of his age, offensive abilities, salary, and upside. The trouble the Mets run into right now is they’re going to need a plan for a second catcher. This can be resolved at the trade deadline with a trade for someone new to become the next in line as Torrens ages out. Alternatively, signing a veteran in the offseason or making another low-level, unexpectedly successful trade resolves the minor issue.

Faced with a choice between the two, surviving with an offense hole from your catcher is easier than it is to have a guy losing games for you because his defense isn’t very good. Those things don’t always show up in the box score, but Mets fans have seen enough to realize where Alvarez’s limitations are.

It’s a very simple asking price for Alvarez: someone else who plays a different position in a similar position with his team. Another young player blocked or not fitting so well is the asking price with a greater preference for a ready-made starting pitcher like Detmers.

If the Mets want to win with run prevention, they should lean into it fully. As promising as Alvarez remains, he’s the one to trade unles the team plans for something bold like a position change.

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