4 potential landing spots for Tomas Nido following his DFA by the Mets

Demand for recently DFA’d catcher Tomas Nido won’t be extreme. There is a reason why the New York Mets have given him this treatment in two straight seasons. He is what he is. A perfectly fine backup at times, this stint with the Mets in 2024 concludes with a .229/.261/.361 slash line and 3 home runs in 90 plate appearances. Because he now has enough service time to elect free agency and keep his money, Nido didn't have much to think about when saying farewell.

It was a much-needed performance from Nido in the absence of Francisco Alvarez. He outshined Omar Narvaez to extremes by being able to throw out runners at a 19% clip which falls just one point shy of the league at 20%.

Unfortunately for Nido, Luis Torrens has a much greater upside and has been superb since the Mets acquired him from the New York Yankees. Nido enters DFA limbo where teams will get a chance to claim him on waivers, make a trade, or wait until he is released and becomes a free agent. Which four teams could make some sense for Nido?

1) Chicago Cubs

Unbelievably, the addition of Nido to the Chicago Cubs roster would actually be a boost to the offense. Miguel Amaya and Yan Gomes are sharing the duties this season. Amaya is batting .194/.262/.284 with 2 home runs in 150 plate appearances. Gomes is at a more dreadful .155/.182/.250 in 88 chances.

Amaya has gotten the majority of work with Gomes becoming the Windy City’s version of Omar Narvaez. He is among the league’s worst in pitch-framing. Earning $6 million this season from the Cubs, he should be on the verge of getting DFA’d himself. 

A weakness of Amaya, meanwhile, is the inability to throw out runners. He threw out 9% of attempted base thieves last season and is at 12% this year. The veteran Gomes is at 14%.

In every obvious aspect, Nido is an upgrade over both of these catchers right now.

2) San Diego Padres

The catching situation for the San Diego Padres isn’t much better. Luis Campusano is okay as the starter but not doing much more than Nido did with the Mets in his opportunities—at least from an offensive standpoint. He does rank as one of the weaker catchers when it comes to pitch-framing. The backup, Kyle Higashioka, hasn’t hit well enough in comparison to Nido.

Campusano won’t get brushed aside as the starter in favor of Nido. However, the Padres shouldn’t be too hooked on keeping Higashioka on their roster.

This season, Campusano is hitting .234/.83/.359 with 4 home runs in 205 plate appearances. He has adjusted well to throwing out runners, jumping from 3% last season to an almost average 17%.

Higgy has been an ordinary backup catcher. Batting .188/.212/.453, he has powered his way to hitting 5 home runs but they account for nearly half of his 12 hits all year. He doesn’t walk much at all. Nido would be a whole different kind of flavor for the backup spot in San Diego.

Unless the Padres are fed up with Higashioka, Nido might only land with them on a minor league deal. Campusano is the starter and a player the Padres don’t need to dump in favor of Nido.

3) Miami Marlins

Perhaps the worst catcher tandem in baseball belongs to the Miami Marlins. Nick Fortes and Christian Bethancourt are each hitting well below the Mendoza Line. It’s like they have two Triple-A catchers on their roster right now.

At the plate, Fortes is hitting .164/.203/.238. Bethancourt is at an equally as horrific .155/.200/.239.

Behind the plate has been a bit more mixed. Bethancourt’s arm is a strength. Fortes rates well in several areas defensively. This was close to what the Marlins had expected from the position. Fortes didn’t accidentally hit .204/.263/.299 last season. Miami didn’t think things would dip this low.

Why would the Marlins want anything to do with Nido in a year where they’re going to sell? Nido is still arbitration eligible and by picking him up for league minimum now, they’d have control over him for next season. Fortes and Bethancourt have both fallen flat to the point where Nido would be a major upgrade over either of them. Nido is seasoned enough to handle himself well with the young Marlins pitchers. His influence as opposed to two catchers who are absolutely nervous about their future because of their inability to hit, could help turn them around. The Marlins can’t always rely on playing the Mets.