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New York Mets Reshuffle Roster

The New York Mets made a flurry of roster moves on Friday. First, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the Mets will option pitcher Christian Scott and third baseman Brett Baty to Triple-A. Then, Andy Martino of SNY reported that New York is designating catcher Omar Narváez for assignment.

Replacing Narváez is catcher Luis Torrens, who the Mets acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees, per Daniel Alvarez Montes of El Extra Base. The Mets also recalled pitcher Dedniel Núñez and selected the contract of infielder Jose Iglesias from Triple-A Syracuse.

New York Mets Reshuffle Roster on Friday

Mets Option Christian Scott and Brett Baty

The Mets will option Scott and Baty for two different reasons. Scott receives a demotion mainly due to New York’s weird upcoming schedule. In his article, Passan explained that the Mets have extra off days coming up due to the team’s trip to London next weekend. Sending Scott to the minors can keep him on schedule, which thus helps maintain his season-long workload goals.

Despite the demotion, Scott is expected to return to the majors soon, as he should. In a rough May for the Mets, Scott represented a bright spot. In five starts, the 24-year-old tossed 27 2/3 innings with 25 strikeouts, six walks, and a 3.90 ERA.

On the other hand, Baty will be optioned largely due to his underperformance. While he got off to a strong start, the third baseman quickly struggled again. In 49 games, Baty has hit .225/.304/.325 with four homers.

New York expected the former first-round pick to serve as an impact bat in the middle of the order. However, despite plenty of minor league success, that has not been the case in the majors.

Also, fellow third baseman Mark Vientos continued to slug in Triple-A this year. Plus, he has done nothing but hit since being recalled. In a small sample, Vientos is hitting .295/.354/.591 with three homers in 48 plate appearances.

For the past week or so, the Mets have rostered both Baty and Vientos at the expense of a backup middle infielder. President of baseball operations David Stearns repeatedly called the situation unsustainable and said a resolution would be made soon. The Mets fixed that situation today with the option of Baty.

Mets Select Jose Iglesias

The Mets signed Iglesias to a minor league deal this winter for depth. Some thought he would make the Opening Day roster after a solid spring, but the veteran opened the season in Triple-A. To his credit, he earned this promotion by hitting .273/.309/.442 with seven homers in 165 at-bats.

Since Francisco Lindor plays everyday at shortstop, Iglesias will mainly see time backing up Jeff McNeil at second and as a defensive replacement at third for Vientos. The 34-year-old has multiple solid MLB seasons under his belt and could provide decent value in this role.

It’s likely too early to think about the trade deadline in July. That said, it’s fair to say that Iglesias will have two months to prove he belongs in the majors. If he does this, it’s conceivable to think that multiple contenders could pursue him as depth at the deadline.

At 34, Iglesias is not part of New York’s long-term plan. If Mets fans want to dream of things going their way, they should hope Iglesias performs well, gets traded in July, then replaced by a prospect like Luisangel Acuña.

Mets Cut Omar Narváez And Trade For Luis Torrens

Narváez entered this season as the veteran backup behind promising youngster Francisco Alvarez. Despite struggling with injuries and performance last season, many naturally expected Narváez to receive most of the playing time when Alvarez underwent surgery in April.

However, Tomás Nido, a player outrighted off the roster a year ago, quickly became the clear starter in Alvarez’s absence. It’s fair to say that this was a good representation of how the Mets viewed Narváez, and his designation for assignment cements that.

In 28 games, the veteran hit just .154/.191/.185 with underwhelming defense. Alvarez recently began a rehab assignment and should return soon. So, it’s interested that the Mets chose to cut Narváez now instead of in a few days when Alvarez returns.

In the meantime, New York will turn to a former promising prospect in Torrens. The veteran is considered a solid defender with good offensive hard-hit rates. That said, he is a career .227/.289/.354 hitter with a high ground ball rate in 807 plate appearances.

While he has hit well in 111 Triple-A at-bats this year (.279 with five homers), it’s doubtful that the Mets are expecting much from him. The most likely scenario is that Torrens and Nido compete over the next several days to earn the backup role when Alvarez returns.

Mets Promote Dedniel Núñez

Núñez, 28 in a few days, has been an intriguing arm in the Mets system for a while. However, injuries have seriously hindered his career and development. Fortunately for him, he’s finally healthy and pitching well.

The Mets have called Núñez up a couple times already this season when the team desperately needed a fresh arm. To his credit, Núñez has done nothing but impress. In 8 1/3 innings over five games, the righty posted a 3.24 ERA (122 ERA+) with 13 strikeouts and three walks.

He has pitched just as well in Triple-A this year. Based on his performance and the timing of the call-up, it seems that the Mets are finally giving Núñez a chance to stick in the majors. With injuries to multiple key relievers, New York is wise to give the righty with a lively arm and intriguing stuff a chance to prove himself.

Main Photo Credits: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Giglio

Ryan Giglio

A passionate sports fan all his life, he became a writer for Last Word on Sports in 2023. His favorite teams are the Mets, Nets, NY Giants and Jets.

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