With prospect Mark Vientos on his way up to try to help the Mets’ struggling offense, the front office's attention now turns this week to veteran catcher Gary Sanchez.
Sanchez can opt out of his Mets minor league deal on Friday. The team is closely evaluating him in preparation for a decision about whether to promote him.
If Tomas Nido or Omar Narvaez were healthy, fitting Sanchez on the roster would be far more complicated. But the Mets have a rookie starter in Francisco Alvarez, and a backup in Michael Perez who was not on the 40-man roster until Nido’s injury.
A Sanchez-for-Perez swap would be a logical move this week, and the team is weighing it carefully.
Once Nido and/or Narvaez return, the Mets will have to decide whether to option Alvarez back to Triple-A and what to do with Sanchez, but that’s a problem for a later date.
Vientos, meanwhile, is on his way after hitting 13 home runs in the Triple-A. Manager Buck Showalter will decide his usage and playing time.
Vientos can play first base, third base and DH, and Showalter will likely look for favorable matchups and he gradually works him into big league lineups. Another right-handed hitting DH option, veteran Tommy Pham, is hitting the ball as hard as anyone on the team.
In addition to Sanchez, the team is continually evaluating Triple-A options Ronny Mauricio and Danny Mendick. The Mets love Mauricio’s potential but believe he is still developing on both offense and defense. Mendick could be a productive and versatile utility player in the Luis Guillorme role.