Mets may have just won their deadline without making a single trade

The Francisco Alvarez show is back on in Queens, and it couldn’t come at a better time for the inconsistent New York Mets.

The Mets intend to recall Alvarez from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday, just over a month after the team demoted their former top prospect. Alvarez hit 11 home runs in 19 minor-league games, with seven of those homers coming over his final six outings. 

It is unclear if Alvarez will immediately become the full-time catcher again, or if he’ll split duties with veteran backup Luis Torrens. The Mets are expected to send Hayden Senger to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Alvarez, who doesn’t turn 24 until November, batted .236 with three homers, 11 RBIs, and a .652 OPS in 138 plate appearances. He missed the start of the season following surgery on a broken hamate bone in his left hand.

Alvarez struck out in 27.5 percent of his at-bats before the demotion.

The Mets desperately need Francisco Alvarez to get hot

Much of the talk surrounding the Mets in recent weeks has involved two specific topics: losing and the trade deadline. The Mets lost two of three to the Cincinnati Reds this past weekend, extending a prolonged slump that’s seen the former NL East leaders go 11-19 since June 13.

Recent online trade proposals have suggested the Mets add a starting pitcher or outfielder before the July 31 trade deadline. Others have theorized the Mets will trade for a third baseman to replace Brett Baty and Mark Vientos.

At no point, though, have there been any credible trade ideas or rumors about the Mets adding another catcher. Torrens is a fine backup, and Senger would have needed an injury or an unprecedented hitting streak to last on the big-league roster. Instead, Senger went 8-for-46 and didn’t embarrass the Mets over 21 games. For all intents and purposes, Senger did his job.

Francisco Alvarez needs to reclaim his rightful spot in the Mets lineup

The plan was always for Alvarez to reclaim his starting job when the Mets felt he was ready, and his 1.129 OPS at Syracuse is ideally a sign of things to come. The three-headed monster of Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, and Pete Alonso can’t carry the Mets forever, especially not with a half-game deficit in the NL East; every win matters, and the Mets still have seven games left against the Phillies.

It’s time for Alvarez to prove why he was once a consensus top-10 prospect. Otherwise, the Mets might find themselves on the outside looking in when the postseason begins, which could lead to significant changes in Queens.