One of the many question marks going into next season for the Mets is their situation behind the plate.
Travis d’Arnaud has been essentially replaceable with his 0.5 WAR and .232/.281/.394 slash line to go along with 10 long balls and 38 RBI.
Though the 28-year-old is under team control through 2019, the Mets should explore other options, especially with d’Arnaud’s injury history.
Kevin Plawecki has been producing in a small sample size since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas, going 8-for-22 at the dish in the month of August, but it’s hard to know what you will get from him over a full season.
According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com on Twitter, it is conceivable that the Mets will promote catching prospect Tomas Nido from Double-A Binghamton once their season ends.
Nido, 23, is hitting .235/.290/.360 in 100 games for the Rumble Ponies this season. While that’s not an overwhelming slash line, Nido is just one year removed from his breakout campaign in which he hit .320/.357/.459 with seven homers and 46 RBI.
What you get with Nido, who MLB Pipeline ranks as the No. 11 prospect in the Mets system, is a defensively sound catcher that really knows how to handle his pitching staff well.
This season, Nido appeared alongside Amed Rosario in the MLB Futures Game as well as playing in the Eastern League All-Star game back in July.
Promoting the young catcher would work as a showcase for next season and beyond, as well as seasoning him for the future by being around big league players and coaches.
For Nido, the hitting will come, but behind the plate is where he really makes his mark. In a lost season, the Mets should see what their options are behind the dish and he is the closest to being major league ready.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Nido back in July, which can be found here.
