A theory as to why the Mets drafted a catcher with their first pick

The MLB Draft began on Sunday night and the New York Mets chose to go an interesting route. They picked Kevin Parada with the 11th overall pick—the one they gained from not signing Kumar Rocker last year.

Parada is a catcher which immediately raises some flags. Why would the Mets go there if they have Francisco Alvarez already?

FanSided’s Eric Treuden has a theory.

Did the Mets draft a catcher to trade Francisco Alvarez for Juan Soto?

The Mets can’t draft Parada and then trade him in two weeks for Juan Soto. But they can most certainly send Alvarez to Washington. This is the rabbit hole Treuden goes down, taking a cue from a Tim Healey tweet about the matter.

In the MLB Draft, you definitely do want to get the best players possible regardless of position. Treuden’s theory could be a little bit of protection against a possible future Alvarez deal. They may also see just how valuable catchers are in trades and have an idea of maybe even moving Parada in the future if they have to.

There is still no telling just how good Alvarez will be in the major leagues. Appearing ready for some at-bats in the show as soon as maybe even later this year, it’s more logical to expect him to win the starting catcher job by next season.

Alvarez has been one of the most untouchable Mets prospects for years but with a chance to trade for Soto, the front office could bite. Fans might even accept it, too. Landing Soto now gives the front office a few years to work out an extension and ensure right field is covered by a young superstar for the next decade and a half.

We still can’t rule out a position change for either player although it’s hard to imagine Alvarez going anywhere other than first base which clearly isn’t an option as long as Pete Alonso is around.