5 best candidates to call up when rosters expand in September

1) NY Mets might want to see what Francisco Alvarez can offer

Fans have been waiting all year to hear Francisco Alvarez has been called up to the big leagues. He hasn’t happened. Will it in September?

Based on his performance, Alvarez would be behind Vientos. However, when considering the position he plays, maybe the Mets do want to carry two and a half catchers plus a half DH just to see what this kid can do.

The problem with the Mets roster is they now have a whole lot of defensively limited players. Luis Guillorme can roam around the infield. No position is off-limited for Jeff McNeil. It’s players like Ruf and Vogelbach who take up two roster spots that can’t do much other than play first base or DH.

If Alvarez is red hot at the end of August, things could change. Otherwise, we have to figure the team goes back to the Blankenhorn well or something similar. Alvarez probably wouldn’t even get all that many starts behind the plate for this ball club. The last thing Buck Showalter is prepared to do is lose a top playoff seed because his young catcher wasn’t ready.

In the era when teams could carry 40 players, Alvarez might make a little more sense. Unfortunately, while a top choice for me, the Mets would probably want one of the Lee/Plummer duo over him. They’ve at least faced MLB pitchers and can offer them an outfield alternative.

We’ll have to wait until 2023 to see Alvarez in Flushing.