3 overreactions from the first Mets spring training game that could become a reality

3) Who needs Tomas Nido when you have Hayden Senger?

Tomas Nido was a part of the defensive rust on Saturday which begs the question, why is he still here? Nido is supposed to at least handle himself behind the plate. Anything the Mets may get out of him on offense is extra credit.

Nido didn’t catch the whole game, which is expected in the spring. Replaced by Hayden Senger after two at-bats, an overreaction some may be thinking is how the depth chart needs some adjusting.

Senger won someone a stupid Mets sports bet by hitting the first home run of the spring for the team. An eighth-inning dinger was his second hit of the game. This isn’t something the Mets spring training bingo cards even included. Senger is coming off of a season where he hit just .188 in Double-A.

In a lot of ways, Senger is the younger version of Nido. There’s a chance he does become their go-to defensive catcher after the 2024 season. The Mets will have an option to go to arbitration with Nido by then. Keeping him around isn’t too outrageous although his sinking bat should have them considering if Senger may in fact have a little more upside at this stage of his career.

An advantage for Senger in the near future is that having spent time in Double-A since 2021 means he knows all of these pitchers coming up the farm system. He has yet to prove he should move ahead of Nido on the depth chart as a third catcher. Showing any life on offense this year should help this spring training overreaction become a reality.