Yankees swing trade to send depth catcher to the Mets

MLB: Spring Training-New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays
Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees had signed Luis Torrens to a Minor League contract this past offseason, returning to the organization he began his professional career with. After having a strong Spring Training, Torrens was sent to Triple-A to serve as MiLB depth in case of injury, and he had put up some solid numbers with the Scranton RailRiders. The 28-year-old had a .279/.339/.468 slashline with a 105 wRC+ and five home runs through 30 games, and this was enough for the New York Mets to inquire about his services.

With their season going haywire fast and Pete Alonso sustaining a bone bruise, they struck a trade with the Yankees to acquire Luis Torrens according to Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extrabase.

Luis Torres Traded From Yankees to Mets

MLB: Spring Training-Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees

The Yankees will be parting ways with Luis Torrens in a trade with the Mets, as the Queens-based team has designated catcher Omar Narvaez for assignment as the corresponding move. Things have not gone well for the Mets, as they’ve fallen to 10 games below .500 on the season and suffered a brutal month of May. This season was not expected to be a strong one for the Mets, who are retooling for the 2025 season, but this is still well below expectations for them.

Luis Torrens has some good power, and in his Major League career, he hit 15 home runs in 108 games with the Seattle Mariners back in 2021 and has shown some strong power this year with Scranton. There are some positive aspects to his swing, although strikeouts and poor plate discipline have held him back from remaining a consistent big leaguer. The defense behind the plate is suspect, but the Yankees gave Torrens extensive reps behind the dish, and they’re excellent at improving catcher framing.

As for the return, it’s yet to be seen, but the Yankees are likely not going to get much for a catcher that wasn’t on their 40-man roster prior to the trade. The Mets however will place him on their 40-man roster and activate him ahead of tonight’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as they hope to make it two in a row. They’ve also sent down both Christian Scott and Brett Baty, so there’s some roster shuffling going around on their roster.

The Yankees also opened up a spot in Triple-A at the catching position, which will definitely create some buzz about a potential promotion for one of Ben Rice or Agustin Ramirez.

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