The New York Mets had a busy Friday morning.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on a number of changes the Mets were making as they rebuilt their MLB roster.
First, it was reported that the team was demoting right-handed pitcher Christian Scott and third baseman Brett Baty to Triple-A. In addition, the team designated catcher Omar Narváez for assignment.
Veteran shortstop Jose Iglesias has been brought up to replace Baty. The Mets will also acquire catcher Luis Torrens in a deal with the New York Yankees.
Let us start at the top with Scott and Baty.
Scott, 24, has been the one bright spot in the Mets’ rotation this season. The former fifth-round pick in 2021 has made five starts and has a 3.90 ERA, with 25 strikeouts and only six walks. He’ll now attempt to continue his performance in Triple-A.
Baty, 24, has struggled in Major League Baseball during his brief career. Last season, the team’s number two prospect was slashing.This year, he’s batting 225/.304/.325 with four home runs and 16 RBI. Last season, he participated in 108 MLB games and batted.212/.275/.323, with nine home runs and 34 RBI.
With Baty’s demotion, third baseman Mark Vientos will have a full-time opportunity at the hot corner.
Narváez, 32, is being released after slashing.154/.191/.185 in 28 games. This would be by far the worst season of his nine-year career, and the Mets have decided to go in a different way with their backup catcher.
Instead, Torrens was bought from the Yankees for $100,000. In 2023, the 28-year-old played 18 games for the Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners, hitting.250/.300/.357. He signed with the Yankees in January and has only played in Triple-A, batting.279 with five home runs, 19 RBIs, and an OPS of.807.
Finally, there’s Iglesias, 34, who last played in the Major Leagues with the Colorado Rockies in 2022. Iglesias joined with the Mets in December and has performed admirably in Triple-A, hitting.273/.309/.442 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs in 42 games. He will be mostly relied upon for his outstanding defense.
These significant roster moves come in the midst of a busy week for the Mets. The team designated reliever Jorge López for assignment after he flung his glove into the stands and made some intriguing postgame comments.
Last week, when discussing his former team, superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor took a jab at the Mets. And two weeks ago, Mets owner Steve Cohen sparked a frenzy among fans with a now-deleted post on the team’s future.
The Mets have had a dreadful season thus far, but they want to turn things around in June. They approach the final day of May with a 23-33 record, 15.5 games behind the National League East’s first-place Philadelphia Phillies.
