The Mets are reportedly looking for backstop reinforcements.
According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, New York is looking for more catching depth to perhaps slot in at No. 3 on the depth chart for the team, and a name that has piqued their interest is Tyler Flowers.
Flowers, 35, is a 12-year MLB veteran who has spent the last five with the division rival Atlanta Braves, after playing the first leg of his career with the Chicago White Sox.
Since 2014 (excluding the shortened 2020 season), Flowers has been worth at least 2.0 fWAR each year, highlighted by a robust 2017 campaign where he put up a whopping 4.5 fWAR.
The Georgia native appeared in just 22 games in 2020, but is just one season removed from a strong 2.1 fWAR year that also saw him ranked No. 9 by Baseball Prospectus out of 123 qualifying catchers with a 10.7 catcher defensive alignment (CDA) and 10.3 fielding runs above average (FRAA). His framing was also ranked in the 93rd percentile by Baseball Savant that year.
At the dish, Flowers has just a 93 career wRC+ and .313 wOBA, but can occasionally go yard, as he hit 11 long balls in 85 games in 2019.
Barring anything unforeseen happening, James McCann and Tomas Nido will handle catching duties at the MLB level, but beyond that, the options are thin. Patrick Mazeika is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster after the team designated for assignment and subsequently traded Ali Sanchez to the St. Louis Cardinals several weeks ago.
They also have a few other catchers in camp on MiLB deals, such as Bruce Maxwell, Caleb Joseph and David Rodriguez, but the team is really just one injury away from being shorthanded at the position.
Flowers is represented by O’Connell Sports Management.
