1:47pm: The Mets-Vazquez talk “is overblown,” Rosenthal hears.
12:19pm: The Mets are showing interest in Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez, per reports from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com) and Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
While the Mets have gotten off to a subpar 15-19 start, they’re nonetheless in the playoff race in a wide-open National League. And catcher is one of the areas they’re looking to upgrade, as Heyman reports that they’re hoping to at least add depth behind the plate. The club was previously in on Jason Castro before the Padres acquired him from the Angels on Sunday, according to Heyman.
Mets catchers have collectively logged middling offensive numbers this year, largely because starter Wilson Ramos is amid one of the worst offensive years of his career. On the other hand, the normally light-hitting Tomas Nido has posted impressive production, though his success has come over a paltry 26 trips to the plate.
With Ramos likely to become a free agent after the season (New York has a $10MM option or a $1.5MM buyout decision), the Mets could be in the market for a new No. 1 backstop during the winter. In acquiring Vazquez, though, they’d seemingly remove the need to pursue catchers in the offseason. Vazquez, after all, is controllable next season for $6MM and has a $7MM option (or a $250K buyout) for 2022. As such, there may not be any urgency for Boston to move Vazquez, but the out-of-contention club is at least open to it.
Vazquez, who turned 30 on Aug. 21, hasn’t hit much since his career began in 2014. He seemed to turn a corner in that regard last year with a .276/.320/.477 line and 23 home runs in 521 plate appearances, but he has slumped to a .252/.286/.411 mark with four homers in 112 PA this season. At the very least, though, Vazquez is an accomplished defender – one who has thrown out a whopping 40 percent of would-be base thieves this season and during his career.
I thought the Mets still had Rene Rivera. Did he get hurt, released, or is he at the alt site?
injured
Let’s be real does it even matter if they have him? He’s not better than either Ramos or Nido.
Mets getting Chirinos not Vazquez. Just reported on MLB.
Maybe a good time to move Vasquez with Mets and Rays both interested in him. Could be a bonanza for Red Sox.
Would be a nice tandem to have in Vazquez & Nido going Foward!!
Please god no stop buying the team isn’t a legit contender
This would be a move that would work for the next two years. This isn’t a pure deadline move for this playoff run this season.
This is because Vasquez, after all, is controllable for the next 2 years.
Unless we move Ali Sanchez for Vazquez, I’m not interested in seeing him orange and blue. Not enough of a difference maker.
The Mets and their super rich new owner will have all offseason to steal Realmuto away from the Phillies. Giving up assets for one now when they their pitching staff has like three people right now is madness.
I doubt a trade for Vasquez happens. The Mets won’t want to give the Red Sox they’re higher than reasonable asking price. Vasquez, after all, is controllable for the next two years.
My thoughts exactly
Vazquez just doesn’t move the needle enough to justify trading for him. Mets are better off going all in for Realmuto this winter because PHI has no intention of extending him.
The Red Sox do not have a Major League Cather ready in the minor leagues, do unless they Mets give up their lungs, I do not see this happening at all. All Bloom seems to be doing is cutting payroll for John Henry.
You’re partly correct. The Red Sox are not going to trade Vasquez unless they’re Blown Away. But you have no clue if you say all they’re doing is cutting payroll. That’s already done and over with. Their payroll situation is now complete and finished and the goal has been met of being under the luxury-tax and resetting the repeater penalty.
Now it’s about improving the Boston Red Sox. If you can get a haul for a 30 year old catcher that hits .250 you do it. But since he’s on a pretty decent contract someone would have to give a little more than he’s really worth for a trade to happen. Get it?
‘Cutting payroll’ is just something some posters heard, once upon a time, and repeat it. They traded Betts for a one-year salary relief to get under the cap, and because they didn’t think they could re-sign him without blowing up the cap all over again.
But none of the recent trades had anything to do with salary, and in the Workman trade, we kicked in salary relief.
The Rockies could really use him.
Mutts aren’t trading Thor and he’s out for the year.and deGrom aint going nowhere…they got nothing nobody would want
Wonder if the Sox would include Nathan Eovaldi in the trade
Eovaldi — 10 and 10/4.69 ERA from 2018 through this point in 2020 (and on IL)
Didn’t play at all in in 2017.
48 and 56/4.32 ERA in his 9-year MLB career and is owed $17 million in salary for 2020 and 2021 and 2022. (when he’ll be 32 by the time spring training starts).
How much would they have to pay a team to take him?
Smith,conforto,nimmo,Rosario, gimenez,davis,alonso, nobody would want?
Somebody took the bait, it was only a matter of time, I guess
Yeah cause Thor and Degrom super reasonable return for him
Blast away at me for this but these two teams seem to match up well for a major trade if the Mets are serious to contend this year and next and the Sox are wanting to wait two years. Dom Smith would be a start with some prospects and maybe the Sox would be willing to give up JBJ, Vaz and major league bullpen arms. Mets need defense immediately. I would even include JD if I were the Mets if it included a true third baseman.
Why would the Mets give up two controllable players who are hitting .300 for a catcher with an on base under .300 and a rental JBJ who it’s clear they don’t want since they’ve been linked to him the past 3 years and he’s still not a met
admittedly I’m reaching because of the big weakness of the Mets which is defense. Their bullpen and starters have been getting killed trying to get extra outs. JBJ is good enough for that. Smith or Alonso has to be resolved eventually. Smith’s value will never be higher unless you believe he’s really going to keep this up. I’ll take the rips to open the discussion but being honest money for both teams shouldn’t be an issue. You have to build a championship team. Dom Smith in left field is basically doing what the Mets did in 15 and that will kill you in the playoffs.
I don’t really get why Vasquez doesn’t get any respect for his offensive ability. Last year he put up one of the better offensive seasons of any ML catcher, and sure this year his numbers are down a little bit BUT it’s also only over 112 ABs. He may not quite be a middle of the order bat… but I definitely think he’s more than capable of hitting .265-.275 with 20+ HRs/year which is pretty solid especially paired with his excellent defense. Personally as a Red Sox fan, I think id rather then hang onto him unless they get a really great offer in exchange — mostly because I think the cost/difficulty of replacing him going forward would be significantly higher than replacing a player at another position. That is of course assuming the Sox aren’t planning on going after Realmuto — if they are, then I suppose trading Vasquez would be a lot more appealing. Because as I said my main concern with moving him… is the difficulty they’ll have replacing him going forward not necessarily that I feel he’s irreplaceable as a player, just that finding another catcher of his caliber this off-season would be harder than say a new 2B or OF.
Plot twist, padres sweep in in a 7 player trade with the Sox to finally upgrade their horrid bullpen catching situation. Rumor has it, Castro will assume that role, more to come…
I don’t see a match. The Mets have two so-so SS prospects, but we already have a SS. And they have an uber-SS prospect in Mauricio, but I don’t see the Mets moving him.
Bloom seems happy to prefer quantity over quality, but I think if we move Vazquez, we’d definitely ask for a top prospect in return.
Uummmmm. Can anyone on our ‘pen be counted on? PLEASE bring in some worthy arms!
I was just about to tout his ability to handle a pitching staff, but the pitching staff is trash. I know that isn’t completely his fault… probably not even mostly. I just can’t see anything good coming from trading him.
should have traded him