New York Mets add former All-Star catcher to the mix with another signing

The Mets signed catcher Omar Narvaez, who made the All-Star team with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021.

Free-agent catcher Omar Narvaez and the New York Mets are in agreement on a one-year contract that includes a player option for a second season, pending physical, according to sources familiar with the deal.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that Narvaez will earn $8 million in 2023 while his player option is worth $7 million.

Narvaez was shopped at the trade deadline this past season and New York were among the teams to express interest. The fit is not immediately clear — the Mets currently have James McCann, Tomas Nido and Francisco Alvarez under contract — so Narvaez would mark the fourth catcher on the 40-man roster.

Will Mets trade a catcher with Omar Narvaez in tow?

So it’s entirely possible that New York soon attempts to offload a catcher, with McCann and the remaining two years, $24 million left on his contract being the most obvious candidate.

Narvaez, 31, was widely-considered a bat-first catcher when the Brewers acquired him in 2019, but has improved defensively and as a pitch-framer under the tutelage of Milwaukee’s coaching staff. He’s coming off his worst season offensively, hitting .206/.292/.305 with only four home runs, 23 RBI and a .597 OPS . In his seven-year career, he’s hitting .258/.343/.386 with 51 home runs and 191 RBI.

After signing Narvaez, New York will continue to explore offensive upgrades. At a press conference, general manager Billy Eppler told reporters: “We’ll have more press conferences to discuss more on the offense.” Among the names that have been linked to the Mets include J.D. Martinez.