PORT ST. LUCIE — Mets’ spring coaching isn’t missing any star energy however a sure 21-year-old catcher has drawn explicit curiosity from followers and excessive reward from teammates.
Francisco Alvarez, the Mets’ high organizational prospect, is battling to make the large league roster nevertheless it may be an uphill battle contemplating the Mets are snug with their catching tandem of Omar Narvaez and Tomas Nido.
“He made it up to the big leagues for a short stint and fought through some injuries,” supervisor Buck Showalter stated Friday at Clover Field. “He’s earning more stripes on his arm. At some point, he’ll get an opportunity.”
That alternative could come later within the season.
Alvarez is billed as a power-hitting catcher however his bat has developed faster than his protection. The membership shuffled round some personnel partly to have the ability to have Glenn Sherlock working with him behind the plate, however the Mets’ place on Alvarez through the first week of camp appears to be the identical because it was all winter: His protection issues as a lot as his offense.
However, Alvarez is placing within the work to enhance his expertise behind the plate and his relationship with pitchers. His Venezuelan countrymate, Narvaez, stated he’s been asking questions and placing the data he receives from veteran catchers and Sherlock to good use. Narvaez has been impressed together with his eagerness to study and his framing.
“I think the framing is coming pretty good, at least Francisco’s,” Narvaez stated. “He likes to listen. I’m giving him everything I got and he’s doing well.”
Alvarez can be behind the plate a lot as soon as Grapefruit League play begins subsequent weekend, however Showalter additionally needs to get him some at-bats as a DH. Is there an opportunity that he hits his means into the Major Leagues? Maybe, nevertheless it sounds just like the Mets are content material to let him develop confidence in Triple-A to start out the season earlier than reevaluating his improvement.
“You always want players to make you think about what if?” Showalter stated. “Not everybody in camp can make the club, that’s just how it is. But we know Nido and Omar are going to be our catchers and we’ll see where Francisco fits in that mix.”
RIVERA RETIRES
Former Mets catcher Rene Rivera introduced his retirement on social media Friday. The 39-year-old Puerto Rican performed for the Mets twice, the primary stint from 2016-17 and the second from 2019-2020. He was finest referred to as Noah Syndergaard’s private catcher, and whereas there was some controversy surrounding the designation, finally the battery labored nicely collectively.
Rivera helped Syndergaard go 14-9 with a 2.60 ERA in 2016. Syndergaard’s issues holding runners on base have been nicely documented and Rivera helped alleviate the issue.
SPECIAL DAY FOR SPECIAL OLYMPIANS
The Mets hosted 75 athletes from Special Olympics Florida on Friday afternoon, with a big group of coaches and gamers conducting drills and actions.
Special Olympians may even be readily available Saturday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in close by Fort Pierce with co-owner Alex Cohen, the president of the Amazin’ Mets basis. The basis helped fund the development and buy of apparatus for the primary absolutely ADA-accessible playground within the space.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com