It looks like the Mets will not be able to complete one of the options on the table for a backup catcher if the rumors regarding Arecibia hold true.
Last week it looked like the Mets had the following options for backup catching role:
- Keep using Anthony Recker
- Try to reach a deal for Flowers if the White Sox didn’t tender him a contract
- Sign Arencibia if non-tendered
The White Sox reached a deal with Flowers, so that option went off the table, but the Blue Jays did not tender J.P. Arecibia a contract, which gave the Mets an opening.
The market took a surprisingly active turn on Saturday though, with the Yankees signing McCann. Suddenly, in addition to all of the other trades happening in baseball, catchers started flying off the board. With hindsight in mind, this probably predicted the end of the Mets run for Arencibia because the Mets did not need a back up catcher that badly.
Flowers and Arencibia were both appealing to the Mets because they would be backup catchers with pop on a team that is struggling to find pop (if they could find a starting pitcher with batting pop, I’m sure the Mets would be first in line to sign him up).
At least from the most recent news, it looks like Texas will be going after Arencibia, which makes sense since they tried to get him via trade and did not join in the catcher signing frenzy.
This leaves the Mets with Anthony Recker, who in 135 at bats last year, knocked 6 homeruns. This was the first time in his limited major league experience that he showed this power but in a small sample it was similar to Flowers and showed shades of Arencibia (the difference with JP being that he has shown power 3 seasons in a row). Personally, I feel alright with Recker as the backup catcher for the 2014 season if he can continue the power he has shown. It is a better situation than in previous years with Thole backed up by Nickeas. Now we have a back up who can hopefully hit. The Mets do lose out though on a veteran presence behind the plate though, which would help with d’Arnaud.
