The writing was on the wall for president of baseball operations David Stearns that a difficult decision would be incoming.
After designating Omar Narváez for assignment, the blue and orange acquired catcher Luis Torrens in a cash deal with the New York Yankees, who was supposed just to be a temporary solution as a backup for Tomás Nido before Nido became the alternate to an injured Francisco Álvarez.
However, sometimes plans change, and the Mets decided to ride with the hot hand, resulting in the blue and orange designating a long-time member of the organization for assignment on Tuesday.
The Mets designate Nido for assignment
According to Mike Puma for the New York Post, the Mets have designated Nido for assignment.
The Puerto Rican native has been with the organization since the Mets selected him in the eighth round of the 2012 MLB draft but struggled to perform in the big leagues.
This season, Nido has slashed .229/.261./.361 across 83 plate appearances with three home runs and eight RBIs.
Overall, Nido appeared in eight seasons for the Mets, playing 290 games while slashing .214/.251/.361 with 16 home runs and 82 RBIs. The Puerto Rican native now goes on waivers, and if he is unclaimed, Nido can opt for free agency, with the Mets still having to pay the remainder of his two-year $2.1 million deal due to Nido having five years of service time.
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What does this mean for the Mets
With Nido gone, the backup catching role will go to Torrens for the time being.
The 28-year-old has been impressive since swapping Burroughs, slashing .313/.389/.750 through six games with two home runs and four RBIs. In addition, Torrens’ most valuable asset has been providing the Mets with improved defense behind the dish. He has caught three runners stealing and made the 2-3 double play that secured the 6-5 win over the Phillies in London.
Torrens’ numbers will likely go through some regression come season’s end, but if the 28-year-old sticks around as the backup catcher for the rest of the way, he has two years of club control remaining via arbitration.