The New York Mets are expected to busy throughout this off-season, which proved to be true less than 24 hours after the Texas Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks to win the World Series. The Mets announced on Thursday that Omar Narváez has exercised his $7 million player option for the 2024 season. There was a possibly that the 31-year-old could have opted out to search for a larger role elsewhere, but he has decided to remain in New York.
Omar Narvaez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Narváez began the 2023 season as the team’s starting catcher, but a significant calf strain in early April opened the door for Francisco Álvarez to receive more opportunities behind the plate. Once Narváez returned from the injured list, the young catcher had already established himself, both offensively and defensively. The one-time All-Star struggled in a limited role, slashing .211/.283/.297/.580 with two home runs, seven runs batted in and 14 walks in 146 appearances. Narváez is projected to be the backup to Álvarez going into next season.
The Mets made a few more moves Thursday afternoon, placing Peyton Battenfield, John Curtis, Elieser Hernández, Bryce Montes de Oca, Denyi Reyes and Tim Locastro on waivers to clear space on the 40-man roster. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported that if Montes de Oca and Battenfield go unclaimed, they could be retained. Placing that group of players on waivers will give the Mets front office more flexibility with free agency beginning.
