A pair of transactions this week has the weekend series between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs only a bit more intriguing. We’re at the point where teams are beginning to more regularly cut bait with players. Over the last week alone, several familiar ex-Mets lost their jobs. One from the 2024 roster who was recently cut found his way to Chicago where he’ll help try to improve one of the worst catching situations in baseball.
Tomas Nido will be present at Wrigley Field to welcome the Mets. The team signed him to a major league contract while designating Yan Gomes for assignment. Gomes was their Omar Narvaez so consider them a few steps behind the Mets right now.
Given the schedule of back-to-back day games on Friday and Saturday, we should expect Nido to play one of those games.
The Mets have their own former Cubs player on the roster, too
Luis Torrens won’t be with the team in Chicago as he prepares to welcome a child into the world. His replacement will be Joe Hudson whose claim to fame was being a part of the taxi squad for the Mets in London. He never appeared in any game but will have an opportunity this weekend.
Catcher Joe Hudson will join the Mets for their series with the Cubs in Chicago, reports @martinonyc
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 20, 2024
Luis Torrens is being placed on the paternity list
Hudson last played in the majors in 2020 and has an .833 OPS this year for Triple-A Syracuse pic.twitter.com/GuPBqs7rcU
Hudson came to the Mets earlier this year in one of David Stearns’ many player for cash trades. He was hitless in 8 plate appearances for the Iowa Cubs. For the Syracuse Mets, he managed to slash .237/.392/.441 since the trade.
We can probably assume that Saturday will be the day for this pair of backup catchers to get behind the plate. Two day games in a row can be brutal on a catcher. While Hudson is a candidate to start on Saturday, we shouldn’t expect the Mets to give Francisco Alvarez the full day off. They won’t play until Sunday night which should allow their young budding star and team leader enough time to recover.
The Mets and Cubs are neck-and-neck in the standings with Chicago having one more win but also one more loss. The two teams split their four games in New York. The Cubs have been dependent on some stellar starting pitching this season to keep them alive. Shota Imanaga will get the ball against Jose Quintana in the opener.