Feb 16, 2023; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (50) during spring training workouts Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: Spring Training-New York Mets Workouts
(New York, NY) – New York Mets manager Buck Showalter says he can envision a scenario in which top prospect Francisco Álvarez spends all year with Triple-A Syracuse.
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After the 21-year-old was demoted while struggling at the plate during spring training, Showalter said Álvarez has things he can work on offensively as well as defensively. He also said the club won’t feel obligated to promote him to the majors if he’s putting up big numbers with Syracuse. The 21-year-old went just 3-for-28 with 10 strikeouts and no extra base hits in the Grapefruit League.
Still, Showalter noted a September callup is a definite possibility – something Álvarez received last year. As per if the young slugger could eventually contribute as a DH, the Mets manager referred reporters to GM Billy Eppler, adding everything is on the table when you’re trying to win.
“What he hits, I don’t really care what he hits,” Showalter told SNY. “I just want him to continue to improve defensively.”
The demotion means that Tomás Nido and Omar Naváez will handle the catching duties for New York. Álvarez must spend the first 10 days of the regular season in the minors before he can be recalled unless he replaces an injured player.
