3 way too early Mets trade deadline needs they’ll need to address if they want to compete

3) The Mets should be in the market for a credible backup catcher

We’re going to see a lot of Omar Narvaez and Tomas Nido over the next couple of weeks; maybe less so if the Mets end up pulling the plug on either. Their combined salary comes out to almost $10 million which is ridiculous considering how little production they offer at the plate. A backup catcher upgrade isn’t such a glamorous trade deadline need to address. In the absence of Francisco Alvarez, we’ll learn how essential it is to possess.

Searching for a catcher upgrade at the trade deadline is nothing new for the Mets. Remember those Willson Contreras rumors with the Chicago Cubs? The Mets won’t be looking for quite as impactful a player. Maybe a starter somewhere else they can rely on to actually hit the ball and throw out runners occasionally.

The difficulty here could be all of the steps it would take to happen. The Mets would first need to DFA Narvaez and eat the remainder of his salary. It’s a bit bold to do after all of the other dead money they’ve added to the payroll since last year’s trade deadline. It’s not impossible, though. By the time the trade deadline arrives, more than half of his $7 million salary in 2024 will have been paid for.

The Mets won’t need a world-beater, just someone who isn’t completely absent on one side of the ball. Fortunately, these types of players don’t cost much at the trade deadline. The Mets might get lucky and even snag someone off the waiver wire first. Nido hasn't looked too bad since his promotion. We've been fooled before. The last thing the Mets need is to buy into a hot streak from him and end up with nothing at the position post-trade deadline.