5 potential trade destinations for James McCann or Tomas Nido

Wild Card Series - San Diego Padres v New York Mets - Game Three
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The acquisition of Omar Narvaez has put us all on edge to see what the New York Mets have brewing. Four potential catchers on the roster is not a wise plan. Something is going to give. It should happen soon. The Mets couldn’t possibly sign Narvaez without a trade on the way.

Exactly what will the team do? It’s either going to be trading James McCann, DFA’ing him (unlikely), or sending Tomas Nido packing. Mets fans are hoping it’s a McCann trade. Even the DFA is a bit painful. At least a trade can get Steve Cohen some cash considerations. He really has been good to us.

So where will the Mets trade a catcher today, tomorrow, or the next? Let’s take a look at some of the teams to keep a watchful eye on.

1) NY Mets can trade a catcher to the Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers don’t have a horrible catcher tandem with Jonah Heim and Mitch Garver. We’re connecting this dot because of the previous rumors of them being a landing spot for McCann. Considering how well Jacob deGrom worked with Nido over the years, could it be that they are now interested in him? It seems viable.

Nido worked for several seasons as an unofficial personal catcher for deGrom. He has had a similar role with other Mets pitchers. He’s a favorite for them. Trading him instead of McCann would be a bit of a blow to our morale. Nido has been a fun player to watch develop into more than a Four-A player. He can actually hit well enough to be part of a platoon.

If it’s the Rangers who end up acquiring one of these catchers, we’ll have to come to the conclusion that deGrom was a part of the conversation. He did sign with them to win a ring, after all. It would help to work with a catcher he’s familiar with.

2) NY Mets can trade a catcher to the Houston Astros

The Houston Astros seem far too wise than to take on McCann. Or maybe they’re being incredibly intelligent. Any trade involving McCann is all about the money. Whether they land him and pay the entire salary without giving up a thing or get the Mets to pick up a portion of the bill, it does have the makings of a potentially strong trade as long as it works out.

The Astros have deployed many weak-hitting catchers in recent seasons. Martin Maldonado and Jason Castro are two of the mainstays. With Willson Contreras off the board and Christian Vazquez gone, could they look toward McCann rebounding at the plate with them?

At the very least, McCann can play defense.

3) NY Mets can trade a catcher to the Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays seem like a spot for Nido to land much more than McCann. In exchange for another pitcher, it’s the kind of deal that makes too much sense to not explore.

The Rays are a pitching development factory who have some underwhelming catcher options for next season. Mike Zunino last left for the Cleveland Guardians, creating one hole on the roster. They do have other guys and it’s debatable if Nido is even an upgrade.

File the Rays in the “maybe” pile. The Mets have made trades with them in the recent past. The two can help each other out.

4) NY Mets can trade a catcher to the Boston Red Sox

Reese McGuire and Connor Wong are the two top options for the Boston Red Sox behind the plate this season. No, thank you. The club is already getting the San Diego Padres to pay for Eric Hosmer. They can afford to take on McCann, hope he gets better, and even offer to save Steve Cohen a few bucks.

Nido also makes some sense for the Red Sox. Chaim Bloom has been cautious about overspending. His caution has led to plenty of angry fans up in New England. The roster doesn’t look competitive.

Either Mets catcher has the potential to be an improvement for the Red Sox. A team caught in between trying to compete without getting good enough, it does make some sense.

5) NY Mets can trade a catcher to the San Diego Padres

A bit lost in the offseason they’ve had of hitting on Xander Bogaerts but missing elsewhere is the need for a catcher upgrade on the San Diego Padres. Austin Nola should be the starter and there’s no debating it. Behind him or alongside him, McCann or Nido makes some sense.

The Mets trading with the Padres would probably be more about the latter taking on some additional responsibility. This is the team that eliminated the Amazins in the postseason. There’s a good chance we run into each other yet again in 2023.

There isn’t desperation for the Padres to acquire a catcher but with Nola as the top option, they should explore it.

Because of how McCann and Nido fit on an MLB roster, there are far more than these five clubs we could see one of them get traded. Neither is a starter, both can get buried as a backup, and each is capable of maybe being a solid platoon partner.

Where will the Mets trade one of their backstops?

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