It's time for the Mets to move on from Tomás Nido

Catcher Tomás Nido has started almost 300 games for the New York Mets over the past seven seasons. Known for his stellar defense, he finished top nine in catcher framing runs over the last two seasons, a statistic that measures a backstop's effectiveness in turning balls into strikes.

But recently, Mets fans have not seen the same Nido behind the dish. The catcher dropped to 37th in catching framing runs in 2023, accumulating zero runs saved in 472 pitches received so far. His pop-time on stolen base attempts has also increased each of the last three seasons, up to 2.01 seconds in 2023. That is 0.07 slower than rookie Francisco Alvarez and 44th in the Majors.

The NY Mets catcher also struggles offensively, especially in 2023

Nido's hitting has also become an issue, even with low expectations entering this season. With his measly batting average of .118 in 55 plate appearances, the Mets backstop ranks 48th out of 50 catchers with at least 50 at-bats. Nido has six hits, all singles, giving him an OPS that looks like someone's batting average (.266).

This decline in offensive production was surprising, given his .239 average in 98 games last year. Now, the catcher is almost always the nine-hole hitter in the lineup and is often pinch-hit for in critical spots.

To make matters worse, Nido still has not returned to the team after landing on the injured list with dry eye syndrome earlier this month. This may explain some of his struggles, but it cannot be used as an excuse for 19 games of ineffectiveness.

What makes moving Nido more problematic is his contract situation. Over this offseason, the Mets agreed to a two-year, $3.7 million dollar contract with the catcher. It seems unlikely that he would be DFA'd or released because New York is required to pay his full salary.

Instead, the Mets should look to trade Nido for anything they can get: a low-level prospect or even cash would be good enough. If the team is really all-in on winning a title, there are better options internally behind the place.

After seven years in orange and blue, Nido's services are no longer needed in the Big Apple. His defense is not what it used to be, and his offense is sharply declining.