Both Mets manager Carlos Mendoza and president of baseball operations David Stearns spoke to the media on Monday afternoon ahead of the team’s series opener against the Los Angeles Angels. Trade deadline plans, injuries and the return of Francisco Alvarez all made the docket.

Deadline Plans

As the Mets enter the final few days of July, David Stearns acknowledged that his team is in a good spot, but there are moves to be made. He began the topic by saying that the Mets like improvements “everywhere”, and the team will cast a wide net before the July 31 deadline. The Mets’ head executive noted he does not care for the “size of the splash” in any move the team makes, but rather the quality of the player and their fit with the team.

On specific positions, Stearns mentioned the bullpen and center field. On the bullpen, Stearns pointed to several season-ending injuries and consistently needing to place depth relievers in poor positions to succeed as injuries mounted and performances slipped. He did acknowledge that shortening up top pitching prospects is an option, but that the risk involved is that the pitcher they shorten up is shortened for the year; their season as a starting pitcher would be over.

Center field was the other position discussed, and Stearns mentioned that they have not gotten enough production from the position. He likes the defense of Tyrone Taylor and the offense of Jeff McNeil, also noting that Jeff’s comfort level in center has grown as the season progressed. Ultimately, however, it is a position where he feels there would need to be an obtainable upgrade on the market that clears a “bar” for the Mets to feel comfortable making a move. Simply put, if the Mets upgrade in center field, it will need to be a player who passes a bar that the Mets feel Taylor and McNeil play to.

Overall, on the offense, Stearns believes the depth of the lineup has improved in the last few weeks, but that the team simply is not scoring enough runs. He pointed to execution with runners on as an area of improvement. He did not specifically say that the Mets are in the market for an offensive upgrade, but did not rule one out. Stearns was somewhat definitive on his stance on the team’s third base situation, saying he does not anticipate a move at third base. Of note, Brett Baty would seem to be a significant reason Stearns feels more comfortable with the lineup depth and with their standing at third base, as Baty owns a 1.045 OPS over his last twelve games, and is now up to 10 homers on the season.

Speaking about the deadline overall, Stearns pointed to a jumble of teams in the middle of the playoff hunt as only eight teams sit six games or more out of a playoff spot entering play today. He believes that undecided teams, which he believes there are a significant number, will begin deciding their own fates this week, and that there will be a better understanding of the markets relatively soon. He expects a busy deadline with a flurry of moves leading up to the buzzer on July 31 at 6 PM.

Most importantly, Stearns noted the general vibe around the league this season is that teams are more willing to pay down contracts of players in return for a better prospect haul. As the Mets and teams like the Yankees and Dodgers find themselves as the biggest spenders over the past few offseasons, they’ve all acquired players with steep contracts at some point to offset their prospect loss. Even with smaller market teams, this seems to be a change of pace this season.

Return of Alvarez

Mendoza and Stearns were asked about Francisco Alvarez’s return from Triple-A Syracuse, and both shared incredible levels of impression and respect. Mendoza credited Alvarez’s hard work and work ethic for his quick improvements and recall, saying that the young catcher handled the demotion well and worked on what the team needed of him. The manager also noted that Alvarez is “going to play” when asked about the playing time split behind the plate moving forward, pointing to Alvarez being the Mets’ primary catcher into the final stretch of the season.

Stearns noted how he has seen the situation of a struggling, young, former top prospect being demoted go very poorly before, but that Francisco was able to show the organization everything they needed to see to feel comfortable bringing him back up. Notably, Stearns said they have seen improvement in his pitch receiving and blocking. He admitted that Alvarez’s power has been great, but they wanted to see more than just his power, and believe now is the best time to bring the young catcher back.

Injury Updates

On the topic of injuries, Mendoza provided updates on Jose Butto and Starling Marte. On Marte, the Mets’ manager said he does not anticipate a rehab assignment and that he should be back within a few days. He is currently running at 90%. Mendoza is hoping for a “couple of days” before his return.

As for Butto, Mendoza said he feels good today after pitching a clean inning yesterday, and pointed to his return being imminent. Butto will be activated by Wednesday at the latest, but the team has not decided if they will have him throw one more time in Syracuse or if he will rejoin the team before Wednesday. Butto has thrown three straight scoreless rehab outings, the first of which came for the FCL squad in Port St. Lucie.

Mendoza also spoke on the recently returned Kodai Senga, simply stating that there is a “number in mind” for his pitch count in his next start against the Angels at Citi Field on Monday night.