The New York Mets received rough injury news on former top prospect Francisco Alvarez on Sunday morning. Alvarez will reportedly miss 6-to-8 weeks and undergo surgery to repair a fractured left hamate bone, per manager Carlos Mendoza.
This will be the second straight season Alvarez is forced to miss significant time due to an injury on his left hand, which is about as Mets as it gets. Alvarez tore a thumb ligament last spring that also required surgery. He was able to return in June, slashing .237/.311/.411 as the Mets made a run to the postseason, eventually losing to the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
Per MLB Trade Rumors, Alvarez has a near league average 99 wRC+ in his early career, and is considered one of the better pitch framers in the National League. He will be missed by New York.
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Mets can sign an emergency Francisco Alvarez replacement, but will have to go through Braves
As far as where the Mets will turn to replace Alvarez, there are some options on the roster. Luis Torrens is the current backup catcher, but doesn't inspire much confidence getting everyday reps. Former Mets catcher James McCann remains available in free agency, and could serve as the stopgap for New York until Alvarez comes back, with Torrens receiving more playing time as well.
McCann had been linked to the Atlanta Braves as recently as this past week, as their catcher Sean Murphy will miss at least a month. The Braves traded their backup catcher from the past few years in Travis d'Arnaud to the Los Angeles Angels, where he will receive a starting opportunity.
McCann spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Mets. Those two campaigns did not necessarily go well for McCann, as he combined for -0.4 WAR in 182 games.
Assuming the Mets front office doesn't want to revisit their McCann experience, Yasmani Grandal remains available and also has some history with David Stearns dating back to Milwaukee. It should be noted that Grandal has ALSO been linked to the Braves by MLB Insider Jon Heyman. As you can see, there is a lot of overlap between these two teams given the severity of the injuries to Murphy and Alvarez.
Stearns spoke on Alvarez's injury Sunday afternoon, stating it's too early to look at external options. Nonetheless, the Mets could receive a wake-up call soon given increased expectations from a hungry fanbase.