While the Mets hope to negotiate a long-term contract extension with Pete Alonso, another player is looking to stay in Queens for a long time.
According to a person familiar with the matter, young catcher Francisco Alvarez is reportedly interested in discussing a long-term contract extension, per Tim Healey of Newsday. The report states that there is no pressure for either side to engage the other in these talks, but the Mets backstop is, at least, open to the possibility.
Alvarez had an up-and-down season with the Mets in 2023, after a cup of coffee in the big leagues the year prior. The 22-year-old mashed his way into being one of the team’s bright spots on an otherwise disappointing season.
Although Alvarez’s final numbers may not reflect how impactful he was to the team, a poor August dashed all the catcher’s numbers, he still hit 25 home runs and drove in 63 RBI. But more so than his power numbers, Alvarez was better defensively than what scouts figured he’d be in the majors and handled a veteran-heavy rotation with ease.
“It was one of those seasons where there was a lot to improve upon,” Alvarez said in November. “With God’s will I’m going to continue working and continue doing what I need to do, but I view it as a good season, nothing extraordinary but it’s definitely something to build on.”
Alvarez is under a team-friendly contract for a number of years. The next two seasons will see the catcher make pre-arbitration money before he can finally start making market value for his position in 2026.
The Mets will then have three more arbitration-eligible seasons with Alvarez before he becomes a free agent after the 2028 season.
While a contract extension for a player who is under team control for the next five seasons might seem absurd, the Atlanta Braves have become notorious for locking up their young talent on team-friendly deals, just ask Spencer Strider, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies, who are all making $12.5 million or less in average annual salary.
The Mets could do something similar with Alvarez, but the team seems like they have plenty of other fish to fry this offseason. They’re still rebuilding their starting rotation, with a big push to get Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and they still have to think about potentially getting an extension done with Alonso.
So while there’s no pressure for David Stearns and the Mets to get a long-term deal done with Alvarez, it’s nice to know the young catcher would consider one so early in his career.